


Of Blood and Magic

by Elevanya



Series: Of Blood [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-03 22:37:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 73,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elevanya/pseuds/Elevanya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tevelle has a secret that, if discovered, would cause her to be hated by every student in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Coming late at the begining of the forth year she is already gossiped about, but can she keep her condeming secret quiet? With all of the wizarding world focused on Hogwarts and the Triwizard Tournament, it seems more ghosts than usual are haunting the schools ancient halls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hunger

 

She wasn't beautiful.

With her long straight brown hair that was dyed with subtle streaks of black and red and slim figure she was pretty. But neither that or her deathly pale skin was what caused boys' heads to turn for a second look. There was an aurora of mystery and just barely restrained power about her that was only enhanced by her strangely compelling brown eyes that had a faint reddish tint.

At the moment she was lounging sullenly in one of the compartments of the Hogwarts express. The clatter and racket of students boarding the train, saying farewell to loved ones, and greeting friends drifted through the half open door, but it did not touch her. She was lost in memories.

_“You are going to Hogwarts, Tevelle, no more arguments. I have already made all the necessary arrangements with Headmaster Dumbledore.” Xeven told her sternly, his dark hair and dark probing eyes serving to make him appear even paler that he was._

_“Why? Do I make a bad student?” She had whined._

_“No, of course not. You have simply advanced beyond my ability to teach.”_

_“But you are one of the most powerful at wielding wandless magic!”_

_“It is not the wandless magic of our kind you must learn, but that of using a wand.”_

In the end it was Xeven who had gotten his way. There had never really been any chance that he would relent, but she had needed to try. Now she was on the train, waiting for people to realize what she was and cast her away in fear and mistrust. Perhaps it was a good thing there were no teachers on the train. None of these students were adept enough in magic to truly recognize what her white skin signified.

A thirst, or was hunger a better word? gnawed at her insides. Just a little longer until the welcome feast, she had told herself, just a little longer. She deftly unwrapped a small red candy and popped it into her mouth. Letting the flavor melt on her tongue, she allowed herself to relax slightly. The hunger lessened a little, but she would have to be careful lest her inner beast reveal itself.

The compartment door slid completely open and a girl with bushy brown hair poked her head in.

“Do you mind if my friends and I join you? There's nowhere else.”

Tevelle considered refusing, but didn't want to appear rude. Reluctantly, she gestured to the empty seats, wordlessly allowing them to sit. The brown haired girl smiled in thanks and was followed in by a tall red haired boy and a dark haired boy with startling green eyes. She didn't need to see the lightning scar to know who he was. He had been touched by death as well and had overcome it, yet in turn, death had left its mark on him. Tevelle winced at uncomfortable memories. Luckily, the three had been stowing away their trunks and had not seen.

When they had all sat, the girl turned to Tevelle. “I'm Hermione Granger.” She said.

“Ron Weasley.”

“Harry Potter.”

She nodded to each of them, making sure she gave no special attention to Harry. She too knew what it felt like to be singled out.

“Tevelle.”

“Sorry, but are you new?”

“Yes.”

“But aren't you a little old to just be starting. You're old enough to be in our year.” Ron blurted. Hermione shot him an annoyed look that had no impact.

“Yes, I am old enough to be in you year, and probably will be once I'm sorted into my house.”

The three accepted this and settled into a slightly uncomfortable silence. With nothing to talk about, Tevelle took a sketchpad and graphite stick out of her bag and began sketching the white owl that was snoozing in its cage. Soon she became so absorbed in her work that she had not noticed several boys who had barged in.

“What's this?” the blond boy who was clearly the leader of the gang asked smugly as he snatched the pad from her limp fingers.

What a stupid question, she thought. It was quite obviously a drawing of the owl who had fixed the boy with an indignant gaze. Tevelle felt some satisfaction when she sensed how impressed he was with her skill. Resisting a smug smile, she closed off her non-human instincts that allowed her to sense his emotions.

“Give that back, Malfoy.” Harry growled. Clearly these two had a longstanding mutual hatred, or at least a strong dislike.

Malfoy did not respond to Harry, but continued to study the drawing and then Tevelle herself.

“Who are you anyway? I hope you're no a mudblood, one is to many in here already.”He sneered with a meaningful glance at Hermione whose scowl only deepened, her hand tightening on her wand.

“That is a rude word. Now could you give me back my sketchbook?” Tevelle gave him a small smile, revealing slightly pointed teeth.

Malfoy frowned, then after tearing out the page with the drawing and pocketing it, he threw the book at her and strode purposefully out the door followed closely by his cronies.

“Sorry about your drawing.” Ron apologized.

“Don't worry. That wasn't my best and I was done anyway.” Tevelle hadn't exactly told the complete truth. She had finished, but it was far from her worst drawing. She had actually been quite proud of how she had shaded the bird's feathers to make them appear real. She didn't want Ron to feel any guiltier over anything he couldn't control. If she had wanted, she could have retrieved the drawing with her magic that Xeven had taught her that required no words or wand, but it wasn't worth it and would only cause more questions.

The rest of the ride passed rather uneventfully. Tevelle drew several landscapes of the scenery flashing by outside the train. A normal human would not be able to work that fast, but with her enhanced eyesight and speed, Tevelle was able to do an adequate job at rendering the rolling hills and forests. If the other three noticed how quickly her hand moved, they did not comment. They were supposed to be wizards after all.

When the train finally came to a halt, Tevelle truly became anxious. The students would discover her secret before long. The teachers had been told of her so they would not panic at her arrival, but she was sure many of them would judge her harshly because of what she was. Such treatment by normally kind teachers would mark her out as clearly as shouting. Tevelle swallowed her trepidation and picking up her bags, she followed the three friends out into the stormy night.

A small sigh escaped her as the cold wind whipped back her hair and robes. It was night, and only night, when she was truly comfortable, It would take only a thought to blend in with the shadows and slip away unseen. Her pupils dilated until her iris was almost flooded with black and only a faint brown rim showed. The world suddenly brightened until she could see as clearly as if it were day. The pulse of those around her thudded in her ears, each heartbeat amplified. The hunger stirred like a serpent in her gut and Tevelle frantically pushed away her non-human self. Just a little longer till the feast, just a little longer.

A whicker caught her attention and she walked over to where the carriages waited. She smiled when she saw that it was a thestral that pulled each one. The foremost thestral strained against its harness and beat its wings as if to fly to her. Moving swiftly, Tevelle laid a hand on the neck of the flying horse so it would no injure itself and the thestral immediately calmed under her touch. She murmured softly as it nuzzled her shoulder.

“I need to go with the first years and get sorted, but I will come and see you when I can,” Tevelle whispered in a black ear. The thestral snorted softly in agreement. After one more affectionate pat, Tevelle followed the loud voice that was shouting. “Firs' Years this way! Firs' Years this way!”

Hagrid's face went blank as soon as he saw her approach. Tevelle's heart fell. Of all the teachers, she had expected him, as a half giant, to be more accepting. She had misjudged him. He was as cold as everyone would be once her secret became common knowledge. Tevelle returned his blank gaze with an overly cheerful and bright smile. Let him feel guilty, he deserved it. He had no right to treat her more coldly than the other students, he didn't even know her.

“One cannot judge what one does not know,” she quoted to him acidly, but his blank demeanor did not change.

The boat ride to the castle was nothing if not wet. One boy fell into the lake and was pushed back into the boat by something in the water. Tevelle dipped her hand into the black water, her fingertips brushing a slimy smooth tentacle. She thanked the giant squid silently with a pat.

By the time they reached the opposite shore, all of them were as wet as the boy who had fallen into the lake. The windows of the castle flickered with friendly light, a beacon in the stormy night as they walked across the grounds. The first years were silent in awe at the great battlements and tall towers. 

The great doors swung open and Tevelle blinked owlishly in the bright light. She could feel the pupils of her eyes shrink to mere pinpricks of black. The warmth hit her like a wall as behind them the doors closed with yet another loud boom. The boy who had fallen in the lake shivered with excitement under the huge moleskin coat Hagrid had given him. The look on his face was mirrored by many of the first years.

Hagrid left them to take his seat in the great hall. Tevelle took the short time that they were unattended by a teacher to explore the entrance hall with her eyes. Up, hiding in a dark corner of the ceiling was a sulking poltergeist. Peeves, that was his name. What had made him so sullen. As if in answer, Professor McGonagall arrived to retrieve them for the Sorting. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun, her lips set in an equally severe line, and her impeccable emerald robes rustled softly with every purposeful stride. Peeves shot her an angry look. No doubt the stern professor had ordered him to stop any mischief he had been causing among the older students.

“Follow me.” Was all she said and follow her they did.

Students stared as they passed, probably wondering why someone who was old enough to be a Fourth Year had entered with the little First Years, apparently to be sorted. Well, let them wonder, it didn't really matter to Tevelle what they thought.

Everyone waited expectantly for the old tattered wizards hat that sat on a stingle stool at the front of the hall where everyone could see clearly. A tear along the brim opened up and the sorting hat began to sing.

_A thousand years or more ago,_

_When I was newly sewn..._

Tevelle stopped listening, lost in her own thoughts. What house would she be put in? Would the sorting hat put her in Slytherin just because of what she was. Was the hat even capable of such prejudice? Would it even be able to read her through her mind's natural barriers?

McGonagall's crisp voice jerked her out of her thoughts. Tevelle blinked in surprise. Had the Sorting begun?

“Nightshade, Tevelle.” McGonagall repeated, a trifle impatiently.

tentatively, Tevelle walked forward, all eyes in the hall intent on her. She gulped nervously and placed the enchanted hat on her head.

 _Oh, so it's you. Figures with a name like that._ The hat said in her mind, slightly muffled through the barrier around her mind that she had not been able to lower.

 _Please, not Slytherin._ She thought back at it. Had it even heard her? Did it even care what she wanted?

_I know. I don't even know why the headmaster allowed you into the school, but surely he has his reasons. Still, there is only one place where your kind belongs besides Azkaban._

Tevelle flinched, but it was not a complete surprise that this was how a wizard made object thought.

_Not Slytherin, please._

“SLYTHERIN!” The hat shouted aloud.

Her heart dropped and depression threatened to overwhelm her, but it was soon drowned out by anger. How dare the sorting hat put her in Slytherin. He had no right to assume like that. Seething with fury, Tevelle whipped the sorting hat off her head and dropped it roughly down on the stool. She was deaf to the Slytherin's cheers as she stalked to her seat. It was yet another disappointment when she found herself seated directly across from that despicable Malfoy boy who had stolen her drawing. The rest of the sorting passed by quickly. Tevelle was vaguely aware of Dumbledore saying “Tuck in” before the tables were suddenly covered with platter after platter of food that had appeared magically.

Tevelle took a gulp of he smooth red liquid in her goblet and the hunger that had been gnawing unbearably at her insides was finally satisfied. She wondered what the other students would think if they knew it was not pumpkin juice she was drinking.


	2. Night Wanderings

She didn't sleep like normal humans did. Instead she fell into something akin to a trance, only deeper and lighter at the same time. She did dream, however, but not tonight. Tevelle was restless, memories of the start of term feast kept flashing through her mind.

There had been much outcry from the students when Dumbledore announced that the Quidditch Cup would not be occurring. Tevelle didn't really care for the flying sport, unlike the students sharing the hall. When the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher barged in, one man called Mad-eye Moody, she had found herself hungrily contemplating how much blood had been spilled for each of those scars. She had had to take a hasty gulp from her goblet. Everyone had become excited and forgot about Quidditch when Dumbledore announced Hogwarts would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. Everyone instantly began whispering about it, and how they would win, but Tevelle remained coolly distant. Once again she did not care for the Tournament. All she really wanted was to get through her schooling at Hogwarts as quickly as possible so she could rejoin Xeven and the rest of their small Coven. The only thing that had disturbed her was how Malfoy's eyes had returned to her throughout the entire meal again and again.

Tevelle sat up suddenly, still angry at the Sorting hat and tore aside the hanging curtains that surrounded her bed. She would get no rest this night. It was unnatural for her to be moving about by day anyway.

Hastily,but quietly so as not to wake anyone, she stuffed her feet into the first shoes she could find which happened to be slippers and wrapped a cloak about her.

Silent and swift as a specter of the night, in a way she was, Tevelle slipped out of he silent dormitory and into the equally silent and deserted castle. Unsure of where to go, Tevelle wandered aimlessly down corridors and up and down flights of stairs. She needed no lantern or to light her wand that she had left back in her trunk. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and her night vision was as good, if not better than, her vision during the day.

At one point she almost ran into a disgruntled Mr. Filch. Without thinking she melted seamlessly into the shadows. The caretaker passed, oblivious to her presence, but the cat stopped and studied her with luminescent eyes. After a few seconds Mrs. Norris followed after her master as if Tevelle were merely another suit of armor. The cat would not betray a fellow creature of the night.

Tevelle resumed her wanderings and found herself in the vast entrance hall. The great doors stood slightly open, the stormy night beckoning to her. Making up her mind, Tevelle allowed her feet to carry her out into the crisp night air. She would go see the thestrals, she had promised after all.

A black shadow against the even darker night, Tevelle ran swiftly and tirelessly towards the forest. Mist clung to the ground once she was inside the trees, but it did not worry her. She could see fine, and if she fell in danger the creatures of the forest would come to her aid, even the ones not directly associated with death like unicorns or centaurs. There was no reason for her to fear.

After only minutes of walking, the thestrals found her. They swarmed about her, a flurry of black wings and fur. They whickered and nudged her until each had greeted her in their own personal way. Tevelle returned their greetings affectionately. Several presented their backs for her to ride, but no matter how tempting it was she had to decline.

“I'm sorry, but I can't fly with you. I have to go to class tomorrow.”

The thestrals snorted and rustled their wings restlessly.

“I know it's a perfect night for flying, I feel it too,”Tevelle argued, afraid that despite her protests she really would fly with them. “But I really am expected to go to class tomorrow morning. Maybe some other night when I'm not expected anywhere the next day.”

The thestrals whickered softly, but realized she told them the truth and eventually subsided, albeit unhappily. Tevelle stroked their silky fur to show that she was just as unhappy about it as they were.

“Wise choice, Miss Nightshade.” A voice behind her remarked calmly.

The thestrals bolted and in a second it was as if they were never there. Tevelle turned to face the one who had spoken.

“Professor Dumbledore?” She inquired politely, unsure of what exactly he spoke of.

“Wise of you not to go flying. You are expected in class in the morning no matter how contrary it is to your nature. Is there a reason you are on grounds after hours?”

“I was restless and couldn't waste a perfect night such as this.”

Dumbledore nodded. “That is not all, is it? Something else is bothering you.”

Tevelle shifted uncomfortably. “I don't want to be in Slytherin!”She blurted. “The Sorting hat was just being prejudiced because I'm a vampire. It didn't even listen when I asked not to be in Slytherin.”

“And what is it you expect me to do?” Dumbledore responded calmly.

“Can't you transfer me to a different house or something? I don't care which one. Before I died I was in Hufflepuff.”

“I am sorry. It is neither my responsibility nor my place to dictate which house you are in. The Sorting hat made a decision, prejudiced or not, that was its decision. I cannot change it.”

Tevelle nodded glumly. She had never really expected to be changed to another house, but it had been worth a try.

“Now go back to your dormitory, and in the future try and confine your night wanderings to the castle.” The headmaster admonished, and glumly, Tevelle obeyed.

By the time she returned to her dormitory, the sun had already colored the sky the pink of dawn. Several of her roommates were already up, and looked at her questioningly when she entered. Tevelle shook her head to forestall questions and quickly changed into her school robes. Without a single word spoken to any of her fellow Slytherins, the vampire made her way down to breakfast and the goblet of blood that awaited her. Maybe it would be type B-, always a good way to start a night, or day rather. It was probably a good thing that none of the students were adept enough at reading minds to break through her natural barriers. Tevelle wondered if any wizard was.

Tevele reached the dining hall and found it nearly deserted. Most of the students would still be waking up and getting ready. She never understood why it took so long for humans to prepare for the day. She sat down, heaping sausage and any other meat she could find on her plate. That was followed by muffins and eggs. Porridge and toast finished off her meal along with a goblet of thick red blood. Now all she had to do was wait to see it she had any mail, and for her schedule. Tevelle buttered a biscuit and settled down for what seemed to be a long wait.

Only halfway through her first biscuit, a tattered black feathered owl swooped down and knocked several plates over. It presented its leg and Tevelle excitedly untied the parchment attached to it. After being rewarded with a tidbit of toast, the owl flew away. Immediately, Tevelle knew who had sent the letter. Only Xeven tied it with a black ribbon embroidered with wilted roses. Perhaps he had decided she could come home.

It read...

“ _Tevelle,_

_I hope you are enjoying your time at Hogwarts. Dumbledore notified me of the Sorting Hat's prejudice and of your request. While I am aware the Sorting Hat does alter its sorting process with wizarding society's current values so as not to become obsolete, it is limited by the rather small sample group of human children. I apologize for the inconvenience, but that is what our kind has to deal with in this day and age._

_If it were not for the age limit I would urge you to tryout for the Triwizard Tournament, but then it would not exactly be fair and the judges would most likely treat you with the same prejudice as the hat. You must complete your schooling, however, no matter how bad it gets. That is imperative not only for your education, but as a demonstration to the Ministry of Magic of your self control._

_-Xeven”_

Tevelle crumpled up the letter, her hand clenching tight with anger until her fingernails dug bloody furrows into her palm. Absentmindedly, she licked away the dark liquid. That was so like Xeven! Tell her that no matter how awful it go for her, her pain was needed. More than anything, her behavior reflected on all vampire kind. 

Unaware that Malfoy and his cronies had taken their seats, Tevelle threw the crumpled parchment on the table. The ribbon stuck mockingly twined about her fingers as she strode furiously away, the confused stares and speculative glances of Malfoy and his gang following her out.

Tevelle made her way to her first class of the day. She reached it earlier than any of her classmates and sat alone in the chamber surrounded by empty tables and desks. The silence lengthened and the vampire felt herself drifting into sleep. It was perfectly normal for her to sleep during the day. Staying awake the day before of the train was what had been strange and unnatural. Sleep took her.

_He leaned in close enough for her to feel the heat rise from his skin. He was mere inches from her, dark disarrayed hair nearly touching her own. His hand lifted to touch her face, tracing a line down to the hollow of her throat and across her collarbone._

_She began to speak his name, a warning, a caution, a request, she did not know. His hand quickly flitted up and he rested a single long finger on her lips._

_“Shhhh,” He hissed as if they were hiding from someone. Perhaps they were._

_She closed her eyes and kissed his finger lightly to let him know she understood. He smiled and pulled her hand. HE lead her sown the hallway, but she was to busy drowning in his bright eyes to truly notice where they went. At one point it felt like the ground had dropped off from beneath her feet, but that was impossible. Wasn't it? When she finally managed to haul herself from the depths of his gem-like eyes, she noticed they were in a large chamber. Statues of snakes half cloaked in shadow liked the walls, tunnels leading off between them. At the far end of the vast hall there seemed to be a lake or moat. In the center was a statue of a man's head with a snaking beard that framed an open mouth. As they got closer, she noticed that the water was not deep at all, shallow enough to wade through. They, however, did not enter the water._

_He stepped forward, still holding her hand and pulled her slightly behind him protectively. Hissing words in a language she did not recognize issued from his mouth. She could feel them vibrate through her bones and into the very core of her self. The vibrations did not dissipate, however, but grew stronger, like a great serpent's scales rubbing as it slithered over rough stone. Withing the shadow of the statue's mouth a deeper shadow moved. Red, jewel-like eyes glinted, a fleck of color in the blackness. Even before the creature emerged, she knew what it was. A basilisk, the great serpent slithered to the floor, landing with an impact that jarred her bones. A low hissing escaped it as if in greeting._

_Unafraid, she stepped out from behind his back. She had no fear of this creature. It would not harm her. He gasped in surprise, and perhaps fear, his hand grasping at her arm and gripping only air. She was already standing mere feet from the fearsome serpent, staring not-quite directly into its great red eye._

_Obviously, he had expected her to fall down dead, for a loud sigh of relief escaped him. She had known she was in no danger._

_The basilisk's gaze did not kill unless direct. By looking askance, she was safe unless the basalisk saw her as prey. Paralysis due to a basalisk's gaze required effort on the great snake's part. How could these creatures possibly find a mate or raise their young otherwise? The basilisk venom was still lethal, but she had always had a connection with animals, and no creature other than humans had ever tried to harm her unless given no choice._

_“Well met,” She spoke aloud to the basilisk, smiling as she gently stroked one of the huge scales above the creature's eye. The serpent hissed its pleasure and one of its filmy eyelids closed halfway over its eye. A hand yanked her back roughly and she spun around to face her attacker. The basilisk caught her abrupt anger and reared its head back threateningly, preparing to defend her with deadly force._

_“_ Never _do that again. Are you crazy? Don't just yank me back like that without saying anything!” The basilisk roared to emphasize her words._

_His face hardened into an arrogant mask. “I thought only Slytherin's heir could tame the monster.”_

_“Well apparently you thought wrong. I am not Salazar Slytherin's heir, we don't even share blood. I assume you are this heir else we would not be here?” she snapped at him, calming down slightly. “And this creature is not a monster.”_

_He nodded as if he understood, yet it was clear to her that he did not._

_“What is it you plan to achieve with the power of this serpent?” She asked, drawing close enough to him that they were nearly touching. He relaxed slightly._

_“I plan to fulfill my ancestor's dream and purge this school of all those whose blood is not pure.” He whispered in her ear, pulling her into an embrace so that her body molded against his._

_“Oh,” She breathed drowsily, yet her mind was scrambling. Did he really want that? He had to know she would not agree. Was he expecting her to be thinking up plans to stop him? Why else would he tell her?_

_“Isn't it wonderful,” He said, but before she could respond he sealed her lips with a strong kiss. When he stepped back, his expression was sad._

_She looked down to see if something was amiss and found a knife hilt protruding from her abdomen. A piece of ruby so red it looked like a drop of blood capped the hilt that was covered with silver snakes that twined and slithered up it._

_Her hands clasped at the knife convulsively. There was pain, intense pain, but it was somehow distant as if it belonged to another so she paid it no mind._

_Blood gushed from the wound as she carefully slid the knife free. The basilisk reared in anger, but could not attack the one it was bound to serve. She looked up at him in confusion. How could he do this? Didn't he love her as he said?_

_“Please understand, I couldn't take the risk of anyone knowing what you do. I truly am sorry, but there was no other way.” With that he dashed out of sight. There was something odd about that reasoning, but her thoughts skittered away._

_“Tom,” she gurgled, blood sprayed her lips, tasting bitter on her tongue. Whether is was a curse or a prayer she had no way of knowing._

_Seconds passed like hours as she knelt there in a steadily growing puddle of her own blood, unable to move or stop the bleeding. The world faded to gray, yet several colors like the red of the ruby and her blood stood out brightly casting an air of unreality to the scene. The basilisk had long since gone back into its hiding place. It knew nothing could be done to save her now and there had been nothing the great serpent could do, and so it had left. She did not, could not, begrudge it that._

_She happened to agree with the serpent. She could feel her life slipping away with the blood that seeped through her fingers of the hand she had pressed into the wound. Slowly all feeling faded until she was numb to everything. Fear, pain, joy, everything._

_A shadow detached itself from the wall and approached her. She looked up at the slim black clothed figure. His black hair and eyes made his waxy skin look almost white. He knelt down to look her in the eye and smiled, revealing slightly pointed teeth._

_“Do you wish to live?”_

_Did she? What would death be like? Was she ready for it? Or did she still wish to cling to life? How could this man save her? Did she care? Could she even make herself care?_

_“_ Do you wish to live? _” He asked again, pressuring her into an answer._

_She found herself nodding, but even that small gesture was to much for her and she lost herself._

Tevelle came out of her trance breathing heavily. The clatter of students taking their seats seemed to belong to another world as she lay her head on her arms. Merlin, she hated remembering her death. Xeven had never explained exactly how he knew to find her there and then or how he had turned her. It was probably coming back to Hogwarts after so long that made her think of her old life. She had thought she had let that all go years ago. That thought lead her to the boy who had meant the most to her in that life and the one who had ended it.

“Tom.” she whispered. The name she had not spoken in years came easily to her lips. “Tom Marvolo Riddle. _Why?_ ”

When she lifted her head she barely noticed a single tear that left a shining track down her cheek and landed with a wet splat on the desk.


	3. Creatures

Tevelle followed despondently after the rest of the Slytherins as they made their way down to their next class, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. A low sigh escaped her as she pulled the hood of her cloak up higher to shield her sensitive eyes and skin from the bright sun. Yet another teacher who would hold any offense against her. At least the professor of her last class had merely ignored her. Tevelle hadn't really minded as she had no trouble with the subject. Hagrid, however would be another story. He would probably assign her the meanest animal he could find.

The class was sown near his hut which bordered the Forbidden Forest. Maybe she could sneak away into the shadowy trees and visit the creatures of the forest. Tevelle was sorely tempted. Would Hagrid notice or care? Perhaps it was not such a good idea. No doubt he would accuse her of working some blood sorcery or other such nonsense. Better not risk it.

The whining of a large boar hound caught her attention and she was surprised to find that they had reached Hagrid's cabin, the owner of which seemed not to have noticed them.

On the ground there were several creates, a rattling noise emanated from each, punctuated with something that sounded suspiciously like explosions. The sources of the noise were six-inch long, lobster-like, pale, shell less creatures without any visible heads. Tevelle wrinkled her sensitive nose at the almost overpowering scent of rotting fish.

“On'y jus' hatched,” she overheard Hagrid explain proudly to the Gryffindors. “So yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!”

“And why would we _want_ to raise them?” Malfoy demanded coldly to appreciative snickers from Crabbe and Goyle. Tevelle had to resist the urge to turn Malfoy into a ferret and bounce some sense into him.

Hagrid was quite clearly stumped.

“I mean, what do they _do_?” asked Malfoy. “What is the _point_ of them?”

Tevelle frantically restrained her inner beast lest in her anger she betray herself. She had to settle with an angry frown and a low growl.

Hagrid settled it by explaining that the answer was the next lesson. Tevelle was the first to dig her hands into the various things Hagrid had set out to feed the skrewts. The other students hesitated and several seemed surprised that she would set herself to the less than appealing task with something that bordered on eagerness. Hagrid noticed too, and gave her a strange look.

Soon Tevelle became absorbed in tempting the skrewts to taste the food she offered. Dean Thomas suddenly shouted in pain ans Hagrid anxiously rushed over.

“It's end exploded!” Dean complained.

“Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off.” Hagrid nodded knowingly.

“Eurgh!” Lavender Brown repeated herself. “Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?”

“Ah, some of 'em have got stings,” said Hagrid and several people hastily removed their hands from the boxes, “I reckon they're the males...the females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies...I think they might be ter suck blood.” He said the last bit with a meaningful glance at Tevelle.

The vampire let the insult slide right off her. Already she was losing interest. None of the skrewts would injure her. Ah whicker form the trees caught her attention. She turned her head to look at the forest as her hand continued to feed the skrewts.

Thestrals threaded in and out of the trees, begging her to join them. Several students saw them, remarkably quite a few who had seen death, and gaped in surprise, jaws slack.

A pale gray form showed beside the black winged horses. On top of the creature's head were bulging round eyes. Four spindly legs with huge flat feet supported its smooth pale gray body. Tevelle wondered at this for a second. It wasn't a full moon, why was the extremely shy Mooncalf risking discovery to see her? She doubted even Dumbledore knew that at least one Mooncalf lived in his forest. Luckily no one else seemed to have seen it.

Most of the class seemed to be avidly watching an argument that Malfou was having with Hermione. Tevelle wasn't really interested she was to busy trying to convince the thestrals and the Mooncalf that she couldn't come.

Two words caught her interest, however.

“Dragon blood.” Hermione continued to talk, oblivious to the effect those two words had caused on Tevelle.

The inner beast coiled and writhed as she sought to keep it contained. Her surroundings were forgotten as she struggled within herself.

_Dragon blood._ Dragon blood was powerful; the most potent and magical type of blood save Unicorn or Phoenix blood. Dragon blood was also very had to come by, even for vampires, but Xeven somehow got his hands on several crates of it long before Tevelle was born. Every anniversary of her Blooding, the day she was turned, Xeven would pour her a glass of Dragon's blood. Tevelle would savor every drop, making it last as long a possible.

The memory caused the hunger to intensify and Tevelle could feel her inner beast take hold. Her canine teeth lengthened and the pupils of her eyes expanded into pools of black rimmed with thin slivers of brown. She could hear the alluring pulse of blood throbbing through the veins of her classmates. Oh, it would be so easy. She could claim it as a slip, that she had forgotten to drink her thrice daily glass of blood. No one would know except her. It would be so easy, so very easy.

Panic gripped her. She could not betray herself so soon. Tevelle wildly pulled back her inner beast and pushed it aside. If she was lucky no one had noticed her change.

When she finally came back to herself all was relatively quiet. Apparently Hermione had won their duel of words for she had a slightly smug look about her that was only confirmed by Malfoy's annoyance. Tevelle noticed Malfoy looking at her. Hid eyes studied her with a calculating coolness that was touched by something she couldn't identify. Had he noticed her lapse? Quickly, she looked away before he noticed her looking at him.

The remaining hour passed quickly enough, though Tevelle found it increasingly difficult to refuse both the Mooncalf and the thestrals. Thankfully, the bell that signaled the end of the class rang across the grounds. Lucky for her, the thestrals and Mooncalf could not expect her to forgo the goblet of blood that awaited her with her meal. She found it difficult to ignore the hunger that painfully gnawed a hole in her stomach creating a aching emptiness that was worse than the pain. Tevelle found herself wondering why Hermione had to mention blood. Why not their scales or heartstrings which were powerful enough to use in wands.

At lunch she ate no meat. She had eaten enough meat for a week so she would not dishonor the wild creatures who had given their lives by eating more than her fill. Once finished she sipped what was left of her blood leisurely, letting her eyes wander.

Hermione was eating quickly at the Gryffindor table and rushed off soon after. Before long the bell ran signaling the start of afternoon lessons. Tevelle made her way down to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom along with the rest of Slytherin.

When they reached the classroom, the doors were open and Moody sat at his desk. Tevelle took a seat near the front and to her dismay, Malfoy and his gang sat down at the same table. Tevelle would have moved, but all the other swats had filled up and the class was settled.

To move now would bring the attention of every eye in the room, something Xeven had always warned her against.

Moody took roll, his magical eye swiveling towards each student as they raised their hand or announced their presence.

“Tevelle Nightshade?” He asked, looking at her coldly as she raised her hand.

Once the roll was taken care of, Moody launched right into the lesson.

“I've had a letter from Professor Lupin. Seems you've covered Dark Creatures...”

“Lupin couldn't tell a dark creature from another if it bit him.” Malfoy declared pompously awarded with sniggers from those at their table. Tevelle merely scowled and was careful not to take her attention from Moody and so acknowledge his snide comment.

“But you're very behind on dealing with curses.” Moody continued, fixing he gaze on Malfoy.

“Well it's not our fault all of our teachers were incompetent!” Malfoy blurted. Moody did not remark, but Tevelle did.

“Shut it, Malfoy,” she growled dangerously.

Draco Malfoy stared at her in surprise, challenge in his eyes. Clearly he wasn't used to being spoken to such by fellow Slytherins.

“So, curses,” Moody clapped his hands together regaining the classes attention. “They come in many strengths and forms. The Ministry thinks that I should just show you countercurses, and not show you what illegal Dark curses look like, as you're not supposed to be ready for it. Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves. I say, the sooner you know, the better. A dark wizard isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to be prepared.”

Malfoy smirked and muttered something to Goyle who began laughing dimly.

“Any one know which curses are most punishable by wizarding law?”

Malfoy smiled in anticipation, and raised his hand. It was another student that the professor called on.

“The Imperious Curse?” came the voice tentatively.

“Yes. That one gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperious Curse.” Moody got to his mismatched feet, opened his desk, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spider scrambled around inside in a vain attempt for freedom. Moody caught one and held it so that all could see. Moody pointed his wand at it and muttered, “ _Imperio_!”

The spider leaped from the hand that held it and began to do back flips. It landed on the desk with a perfectly executed forward roll. It then began to move its legs to some beat that no one else could hear in what was unmistakably a tap dance.

Malfoy laughed gleefully and his laughter was echoed by the rest of the class, that is, except Tevelle and Moody.

A sick dread coiled in her stomach. She could feel the helplessness of the spider as if chains had been looped around her limbs and neck. Tevelle turned her gaze away feeling sick, unable to get the image of the spider's puppet-like movement from her mind.

“Think it funny, do you? Would you think it funny if I did it to you?” Moody growled.

The laughter died, except for a small smile that lingered on Malfoy's lips.

“Total control,” Moody said quietly and with a flick of his wand the spider began to tumble over and over in a tightly curled ball. “I could make it jump out a window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. Years back there were a lot of witches and wizards controlled by this curse. Some job for the Ministry trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was under their own free will.” Moody fixed both eyes on Malfoy with an impenetrable stare.

“It can be fought, and I'll be teaching you, but it takes real strength of character, something not everyone has. Better avoid being hit by it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” Everyone jumped at his bark.

Moody picked up the spider and threw it back in the jar. Tevelle sighted in relief, yet could not dispel a sense of foreboding.

“Anyone know another? Yes, Malfoy?”

“The Cruciatus Curse.” He announced confidently.

Moody nodded as he grabbed the next spider.

“The Cruciatus Curse.” said Moody, “needs to be bigger for you to understand fully. _Engorgio_.” He said as he pointed his wand at the spider.

The spider grew in size until it was larger than a tarantula. Malfoy watched expectantly as Moody raised his hand again.

“ _Crucio!”_ He muttered.

The spider's legs bent in on its body. It rolled over and twitched horribly, rocking side to side. No sound issued from it, but Tevelle could hear its scream. She clutched at the desk, her eyes wide in pain that did not belong to the present, but that of a memory. Her gut clenched and she found it hard not to roll up into a ball as the spider did.

“Stop!” She managed to croak, her breathing heavy.

People turned their attention from the spider and Moody, surprised by her tone, lowered his wand. Malfoy glared at her for cutting short the spider's torment. He had enjoyed it!

“Pain,” Moody said after reducing the twitching spider back to its normal size. “You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse...That one was very popular once too. “ Moody gave Malfoy another steady look before shifting that gaze to Tevelle.

“Anyone know any others? How about you Miss Nightshade?”

Tevelle wanted to shrink from his gaze. He knew she knew the last curse. It was death, something she was far to familiar with.

“The Killing Curse.” She mumbled uncomfortably.

“Yes, the Killing Curse.” Moody reached in the glass jar for the third and final spider that scuttled around frantically to avoid its doom, but to no avail. Moody placed the spider on the surface of the desk and raised his wand.

“ _Avada Kedavra!_ ” Moody roared.

Tevelle wanted to turn her head desperately, but could not tear her gaze away. Death. She had seen it countless times, experienced it . She had thought that she had become, if not used to it, comfortably numb to it. Now, this senseless death, no matter how small, jerked her from that stupor. Tevelle had never understood how people could kill in cold blood. Still,weren't vampires supposed to deal in death almost daily. People would be surprised to know how few vampires actually killed, and very few of those deaths were intentional. Perhaps her fear of death wasn't all that strange, even for a vampire who had to die before living.

There was a flash of green and the spider stilled. Silence cloaked the room and all but Malfoy seemed stunned. Malfoy was watching the dead spider avidly. Moody swept the dead spider to the floor.

“Not nice, not pleasant. There's no countercurse, no blocking it. Only on known person has ever survive it, and that has earned him the title of the Boy Who Lived.”

Moody began to lecture them about the Unforgivable Curses. The other students took out quills to copy notes down, but Tevelle remained still. She already knew all she wanted to know about those three curses. It Moody noticed her lack of studiousness, he did not say anything.

The class remained silent throughout the rest of class, but as soon as the bell rang, the class broke out in excited talk.

“My father almost sent me to Durmstrang. There they actually teach you Dark magic instead of just showing you,” Malfoy was bragging for the millionth time. “Still, it was cool how that spider just died.”

Merlin, could he ever stop talking?

Malfoy continued to speak to his ring of admirers and Tevelle remained carefully separate and silent.

“Miss Nightshade?” Moody called her back, and slightly relieved to be rid of the Slytherins, she went.

“Are you alright? Considering...your past, that last spell must have upset you.” Moody said in a soft growl.

“That is not how I died.” Tevelle answered steadily, still unsure that he was not just rubbing it in her face, and he had meant to upset her all along. That's what the other teachers would have done.

“Still...” Moody continued, but Tevelle cut him short.

“Professor, may I go to dinner?”

“Yes,” Moody said looking non pulsed, then considering her for a moment as if just realizing what she was and why she was so anxious for the meal, he added, “Yes, that is probably a good idea.”

Tevelle smiled her sweetest smile and strode out the room. As soon as she was in the corridor her smile faded. Moody was prejudiced, just like the other professors. The only difference was the Moody, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, did not fear her as much. He knew how to defend against her kind. Granted, a ring of garlic could be harmless to her, but there ware other ways to protect against vampires...against her. The entrance hall was packed with people.

Tevelle sighed as she lined up. Right in front of her was Malfoy and his gang. Despite her delay, somehow she had ended up with them. Tevelle's moody brightened when she noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione before them.

Ron was shaking with fury, glaring at Malfoy.

“Get stuffed, Malfoy,” said Harry, “C'mon, Ron...”

“Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you Potter?” sneered Malfoy. “So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?”

“You know _your_ mother Malfoy?” said Harry-one hand on the back of Ron's robes to keep him from attacking Malfoy- “that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?”

Malfoy turned pink with rage.

“Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter.”

“Keep your fat mouth shut, then.” Harry turned away.

BANG

Several people screamed and Tevelle instinctively put a magical shield around Harry to protect him from Malfoy's curse. There was a second BANG accompanied by a roar that echoed around the hall.

“OH NO YOU DON”T, LADDIE!”

Tevelle and half the students in the hall turned around to see Moody limping down the marble staircase, his wand out and pointing at a white ferret that shivered on the flagstone floor where Malfoy had been standing.

Silence filled the entrance hall; no one was moving except for Moody.

“Did he get you?” Moody growled at Harry.

“No,” said Harry, “missed.”

“LEAVE IT!” Moody shouted.

“Leave- what?” Harry said, bewildered.

“Not you-him” Moody growled, jerking his thumb at Crabbe who stood frozen, poised to pick up the white ferret.

Moody limped toward the ferret which gave a terrified squeak and ran toward the dungeons.

“I don't think so!” roared Moody, pointing his want a the ferret which flew ten feet in the air before falling with a smack to the floor and bouncing upward once again.

“I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned, “Moody growled, the ferret squealing in pain. “Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do...”

“Never-do-that-again-” Moody spoke each word as the ferret hit the floor.

“Professor Moody!” said a shocked Professor McGonagall as she came down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

“Hello, Professor McGonagall.”

“What- what are you doing?”

“Teaching.”

“Teach- Moody, _is that a student?_ ” McGonagall shrieked, dropping her books.

“Yep,” said Moody.

“No!” Professor McGonagall ran down the stairs, pulling out her want. With a loud snapping noise a moment later, Draco Malfoy reappeared in a disgruntled heap on the floor, before getting gingerly to his feet.

“Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!” Professor McGonagtall continued to berate her fellow professor.

“We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!”

“I'll do that, then,” Moody growled, glaring at Malfoy.

Malfoy glared malevolently back and muttered something about his father and what his father would do once he heard of this.

“Oh yeah?” Moody limped forward menacingly. “Well, I know your father of old, boy...You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son...you tell him that from me...Now, your Head of House'll be Snape will it?”

“Yes,” Malfoy grumbled.

“Another old friend,” growled Moody. “I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come in,you...”

Moody seized Malfoy's arm and marched him off to the dungeons.

Tevelle watched them go, smiling. Apparently she was not alone in thinking Draco Malfoy looked better as a ferret.


	4. A Cauldron Brewing

Tevelle trudged down to the dungeons reluctantly with her classmates. Potions was the class she had been dreading. Severous Snape had a reputation of being surly to all those but his favorite students. Considering how he treated normal wizards, how would he treat a student he knew to be a vampire? As the class took their seats, Tevelle braced herself for torture.

Luckily, she found herself seated at the same table as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. If she had had to endure Malfoy as well as Snape she didn't know what she would do.

Snape stormed into the room and without even bothering to take roll began explaining their task.

“You will make a blood-thickening potion,” Snape sneered and Tevelle's heart sank. Was he _trying_ to bring out her inner beast? Snape turned his focus from the class as a whole to Tevelle individually. Tevelle stared defiantly back. “It is a potion used to replenish a person's blood after being fed upon by a vampire.” He then hit the blackboard sharply with his wand, causing a long list of ingredients and instructions to appear. Smiling wickedly, he retreated to his desk.

“Figures, for my first potions class he would pick that one,” Tevelle grumbled as she collected her ingredients.

“Yes,” Hermione agreed, apparently misunderstanding Tevelle's true sarcasm, which was just as well. “Terribly difficult. I might even have a few problems with this one.”

“What!” Ron gasped with false fear, “You, Hermione Granger, are going to have trouble in Potions! Surely the world is about to end!”

Hermione shot him an exasperated look before returning to her cauldron.

Tevelle followed her example. The potion itself was simple for her; something every vampire knew by heart was any spell or potion concerning blood. What she disliked so much about Snape picking this potion was that if she excelled suspicion would fall on her. If she purposely slacked off, Snape would know it and give her detention. He wouldn't take away House points, for she belonged to his House, but he would definitely punish her in any other way he could.

Halfway through her potion she made a decision. After all, how was detention worse than being discovered? Was there ever any choice to make?

It was harder than she thought it would be to mess up on a potion she could do without effort, and still follow the recipe close enough that it would be believable. Tevelle had to concentrate hard to keep her mind from wandering. If she lost focus the potion would be done correctly before she realized it.

The class came to a close. The shimmering potion bubbling in the cauldron set before Tevelle was a slightly lighter shade of red than it should have been, but that was enough. The potion was useless. Snape, instead of collection a vial to grade was walking around, inspecting each person's work.

“Longbottom, that's the sixth cauldron you've melted. Detention!”

Tevelle looked to see the poor boy huddling behind a lump of metal that was unrecognizable as the cauldron it had been.

“Good job, Malfoy.” Snape continued around the room, complimenting fewer students than he criticized.

Finally, he reached Tevelle's table.

“Potter, that potion is useless. Abysmal, as usual, Weasley.” Snape remained silent as he inspected Hermione's work. Apparently he could find nothing wrong with the potion.

Tevelle swallowed nervously as Snape approached her. He wore a frown, yet a satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if he were happy to give her detention, yet disappointed that her secret could not be revealed, or at the very least, hinted at.

“Nightshade, this potion is a shade too light. Did you stir it enough? Add all the ingredients? Perhaps after sharing detention with Longbottom you will be reluctant to slack off in my class again.” Snape sneered.

Tevelle grumbled, but reported to detention along with Neville later that night. Apparently, they were to disembowel a bucketful of horned toads each while Snape graded some sixth years' work.

Neville paled at the sight of the small carcasses, his nose wrinkling at the smell of decay and chemicals, but Tevelle plunged into the gruesome task. Blood spattered her hands and she forced herself not to lick it away. Neville wouldn't notice, so horrified was he at their task, but Snape was watching what she did carefully. Tevelle was tempted to lick off her fingers simply to annoy him, but resisted the urge. It would not do to anger Snape further, considering she was already on his bad side.

The detention passed by quickly, though not quickly enough for Neville whose face was slightly green in color. Tevelle could have stood another few hours, but the blood on her hands had awakened her hunger and it was becoming...awkward and uncomfortable. Snape finally released them, albeit a bit grudgingly.

Both Neville and Tevelle hurried out. Once Neville was out of sight on his way to the Gryffindor Tower, Tevelle licked the toad blood off her fingers and preformed a wandless scouring charm to clear blood and guts from underneath her fingernails.

Once she was relatively clean of toad innards, she made her way to the dormitories. It was late and if a teacher caught her she would be in trouble, but that was something Tevelle wasn't worried about. The dark of the corridors was her friend, her ally. She was half tempted to go to the forest and see what it was that the Mooncalf had wanted of her the other day, but she was tired. Resting at night wasn't natural. But she did need to rest and since she was busy during the day, night would have to do.

Tevelle yawned and made up her mind. It seemed her feet were ahead of her, for as her mind had struggled to decide, they had carried her to the door that lead to the Slytherin common room. Whispering the password, Tevelle slipped into the common room. It was only then that she remembered the charms essay, divination chart, and transfiguration work that she had yet to do. Sighing, she grabbed her bag and plopped down in an overstuffed armchair that was in the darkest corner of the room. She curled up, and balancing her books on her knees, got to work.

_Perhaps sleep is no longer an option,_ Tevelle thought yawning.

“How can you see in this light?” A voice asked. Inwardly groaning, Tevelle looked up to find that Malfoy had pulled one of the stiff backed chairs in front of her.

Tevelle scowled. “I need to do this homework,” she said coldly, hoping he would take the hint and leave, while at the same time avoiding his question.

“Wouldn't it be easier if you could see what you were writing?”

Tevelle sighed and put down her quill. He was either stubborn of stupid, she did not know which. Either way, he obviously wasn't leaving until she answered his question. Biting back her anger, she looked directly at Malfoy, aware her eyes had flooded with black to adjust to the low light.

“I have good night vision,” _Well that was the understatement of the century_. Hopefully there had been no sign of the afterthought's irony in her voice. With his question explained, she retrieved her quill and returned to her essay.

After a few minutes she looked up to find that Malfoy had not moved. She looked up at him questioningly.

“Where are your hounds?” She asked nonchalantly, hoping he would take offense and leave.

“What?”

“Crabbe and Goyle. Who else but your loyal fan club?”

“They're asleep.”

Tevelle nodded and, finished with her charms essay, started on her Divination homework. She didn't particularly want to let her dreams be known, considering they were memories of her death and of Tom, so she merely made it up. If Malfoy noticed her less than studious habits, he didn't comment.

“Are you going to try and enter the tournament?” Malfoy continued.

Tevelle shrugged. “No. I don't really care about it.”

Malfoy laughed. He had thought it a joke. After a few moments he noticed she was serious and stared at her with disbelief.

“How could you not care! To win the Triwizard cup would bring you-”

“Eternal glory, I know.” Tevelle interrupted him, then, leaning closer and speaking in a conspiratory voice, she added, “I'll tell you a secret. Glory isn't all that special when you find all the strings attached to it.”

Malfoy frowned in skepticism.

“If you doubt me, ask Harry Potter, “ she challenged him. _If that doesn't get him to leave me alone, nothing will._ She thought watching the verbal barb sink in.

Malfoy scowled at her, but did not move. With a sigh, she moved onto Transfiguration. Her inner beast, awakened by the frog blood, growled discontentedly and she took out one of her blood flavored candies to pacify it.

“What's that?” Malfoy asked, the subject of the tournament behind them.

“Candy.”

“Can I have some?”

“No.” She said abruptly, “and I would appreciate it if you would let me finish my homework in peace.” It was painfully blunt, but it worked. Frowning, Malfoy wordlessly rose and stalked away.

With him finally gone, Tevelle let herself relax enough to close her eyes. Lulled by the steady crackle of flames in the grate and quiet talk, she slowly lost herself to exhaustion and fell into a deep trance.

_“What's this?” She asked him, curling a hand around the small box that Tom had given her just as she cuddled up against his warm side._

_Tom smiled and hugged her tight. “A gift, open it.”_

_“Why a gift? Did my birthday sneak up on me unnoticed?” She joked, content in the circle of his arms. His scent filled her and she lapped it up as a kitten would milk._

_“Do I need an occasion to give you something nice?” Tom purred. Arms still wrapped around her, he took the small box and opened it so she could see._

_A gasp escaped her lips, and she took it from him. In the small box was a necklace. The chain gleamed as if liquid silver, but it was the pendant that made her breath catch. Made of the same silvery substance, the pendant was shaped as a dragon ready for flight with wings outstretched, foreclaws raking the air. Though the pendant was small, no bigger than her thumbnail, she could make out every detail. Every scale, every claw, every tooth was clear. The dragon's eyes glittered red with chips of ruby._

_“It's beautiful,” she breathed, letting him put the necklace around her neck. “Where did you get it?”_

_“I made it.”_

_She turned around in astonishment. “You made this? How?”_

_“I am a wizard, love. Remember?” He answered wryly and she laughed, leaning closer._

_“So you are.” She kissed him passionately to silence whatever he was going to say next. Her body fitted against his perfectly and it felt right. She couldn't imagine being with anyone but him._

_Reluctantly, she came up for air and curled against him with a satisfied smile._

_“I love you, Tom Riddle.” She kissed him again. This time when they separated, they stayed close together, her head tucked under his chin._

_Tom breathed into her hair, whispered words she could hear clearly._

_“I know" she could hear the smirk, "And I love you, Tevelle Nightshade."_

Tevelle woke with a start. The fire had burned down to mere glowing coals and the common room was deserted. She sat up completely, and groaned when she realized she had fallen asleep on her essay. Tears smudged the ink, making parts of it unreadable. She would have to rewrite it, but that wasn't too much of a problem, merely an annoyance.

She was just reaching for her quill and ink when the memory or dream she had had washed through her mind's eye. With a shaky hand she withdrew a small, silvery necklace from underneath her school robes. The silver dragon looked exactly as it had that night Tom had given it to her, a token of his love, of what they shared. It was the only thing of value that she owned, her only link with her past before Xeven had turned her. She never took it off, even while bathing, but to her surprise it never tarnished with time, nor did its shine fade. A truly remarkable gift. For neither the last, nor the first time, Tevelle wondered why Tom had killed her. There had to be a reason.

Tears made her eyes dry and scratchy and she let them come. Her essay was already ruined. More tears would make no difference. Soon the parchment was splattered with moisture, the ink smudged beyond repair.

The next day right after dinner, Tevelle wandered off to the library. She was mildly curious what books they had on vampires. It would be interesting to see what they got right. Obviously, many would get the fact that vampires could indeed walk in daylight wrong. True, vampires were overly sensitive to light and daylight bordered on painful at times, but with a simple potion that was remedied. Vampires did not die from the sun as many believed them to; instead the sun gave them a nasty sunburn on any uncovered skin and a slight migraine. Tevelle had always found it funny that world renowned researchers, and wizards no less, could get that simple detail wrong. Had they never even  _bothered_ to visit a Coven? 

Tevelle ran her fingers along the Defense Against the Dark Arts section shelves, the leather and parchment smell of the huge tomes a balm to her senses. One of the volumes caught her eye, its title picked out in gold against the nearly black leather binding. _Dark Creatures, Fact or Myth: A Complete Guide._ Maybe that would have vampires in it, though Tevelle was slightly offended at being grouped in with the “Dark Creatures”. Vampires were only dark if they chose to be, just like wizards.

The book was heavy when she pulled it from the shelf, but she managed to carry it over to a nearby table easily. Hermione was already there, but didn't seem offended when Tevelle sat down across from her. Rather, the bushy-haired girl seemed engrossed in what she was researching. A parchment next to her had bold words at the top. Despite herself, Tevelle couldn't help but crane her neck to read them.

“Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.” Tevelle read aloud. “What's that?”

Hermione looked up, startled, but then smiled. “It's a group I'm starting for the promotion of house elf rights, as well as to end elf enslavement. It goes back centuries, but no one has ever tried to change it because they assume the house elves like slavery.”

Tevelle suddenly remembered something Xeven told her once about house elves. Something about being tricked to think they wanted it, or maybe it was something else. To be honest, Tevelle thought this S.P.E.W thing was a great idea. If slavery of humans was illegal, so should the slavery be of other creatures. Either way, it would be arrogant to simply assume the house elves were entirely content with  _every_ aspect of their servitide without actually consulting them. House elf abuse was unfortunatly not uncommon and she was sure the tale told to her by one kitchen elf named Dobby was not the only of its kind. 

“Can I join?”

Hermione seemed genuinely surprised that she would want to join. “Really?”

“Yeah," Tevelle assured her, “I think it's a good idea.”

“Oh, okay. Um, two sickles for a badge and the proceeds will fund our leaflet campaign. That is, if you still want to.”

“Of course.” Tevelle handed over the coins and retrieved a badge from the boxy that contained about fifty of them, all various colors. The color she got was a deep blood red.

“I can start working on leaflets. Just tell me what to put on them. Maybe a picture of a house elf on the front?” Tevelle suggested hopefully. She wouldn't be any good at the administrative stuff, but she could draw.

“Yeah, that would be good.” Hermione smiled in gratitude.

Tevelle smiled back and grabbed a loose piece of parchment, starting to sketch a rough drawing of a house elf. “What do you think?”

The two soon became absorbed in their work, discussing the best layouts for the leaflets and what to put on them to grab people's attention. Tevelle completely forgot about the reason she came to the library and the book she had picked out until Hermione asked about it.

“What's that?” She said, pointing to the huge tome that Tevelle was leaning on.

“What? Oh,” Tevelle was confused for a second. “ _Dark Creatures, Fact or Myth: A Complete Guide._ ”

“But we aren't studying Dark creatures in Defense Against the Dark Arts.”

“This isn't for class. Just some light reading. I was curious what I could find on vampires.”

“Why vampires?” Hermione's voice gained a suspicious edge and Tevelle realized maybe that hadn't been the smartest thing to say.

Hoping Hermione didn't catch her second of worried silence, she shrugged nonchalantly. “No reason,” she lied easily, “I was simply curious.”

Hermione nodded, apparently convinced, and Tevelle allowed herself to relax slightly. That had been close, and if she didn't guard her tongue better, her secret might not be a secret any longer.

Resolving to satisfy her curiosity another day, Tevelle pushed the huge copy of _Dark Creatures, Fact or Myth: A Complete Guide_ away from her and put her attention to the leaflets she had volunteered to make.


	5. Air and Water

Their next Defense Against the Dark Arts class was something all of the Slytherins were excited for, that is, except for Tevelle. Though Moody was at least trying to appear nice to her and treat her fairly, it was obvious he didn't really feel that way. She didn't entirely blame him. He was an ex-Aurorer and now a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. It was his job to fend against Dark creatures and wizards. How could she expect any different from him?

When the class had settled down, Moody explained to them what the lesson would be.

“But it's illegal!” Malfoy complained loudly, clearly not keen on having the Imperious curse preformed on him, despite his eagerness to see it preformed on a spider.

“The Headmaster wishes you to know what it feels like,” Moody explained in his gruff voice as he cleared the desks away with his wand.

“Now, who would like to try first?”

When no one volunteered, he looked over the entire class with his magical eye. The erie orb settled on Malfoy. “Malfoy, you first.”

The blond haired boy looked at the Professor scathingly.

“Well, come on boy, we don't have all day.”

Still glaring at Moody, Malfoy stepped out into the cleared space. With just a flick of Moody's wand and a word, Malfoy was dancing.

Tevelle laughed as he leaped and spun. She felt far less remorse for the Imperious curse to be put on him as she had the innocent spider. She was one of the few laughing, however, for Crabbe and Goyle were kneading their fists menacingly and glaring at anyone who did. Tevelle continued to laugh, she wasn't afraid of them. What human could best a vampire's strength?

As soon as Moody lifted the curse, Malfoy stood stock still, his face flushed red with humiliation. Tevelle's smile widened at his mortified look. Draco Malfoy was not used to being made a fool of. Her smile faded when Moody's eye swung around to fix on her.

“You think it's funny, Miss Nightshade? Very well, your turn.”

She stepped out into the middle of the room, unsure whether to be nervous or not. No wizard she knew of could get through her natural mental barriers to read her mind, but would those same barriers guard against the Imperious Curse? Or worse, would they simply amplify the effect, making it impossible for her to fight it?

Moody raised his want, causing Tevelle to flinch involuntarily. After a few moments she became confused. Moody lowered his wand, his expression blank.

“Professor?” Tevelle began, “Are you going to begin?”

Confusion and astonishment flickered in Moody's one normal eye.

“I've already cast it. One more time. _Imperio_.” Moody nearly shouted the word.

Tevelle blinked, careful to remain still. Did he say that he had already cast it? After a few moments she began to believe him. Xeven had explained to her what the Imperious Curse _should_ feel like, but she felt no sense of pervading peace that should have filled her mind, no voice whispering in her ear, telling her what to do.

A slow smile spread across her face. “Well that answers that question,” she said quietly to herself, reflecting back on her earlier worries. Her mind's barriers acted the exact way they should have.

“There are some people who are immune,” Moody said slowly, as if trying to make is make sense.

_Like vampires_ , Tevelle finished for him in her mind.

Tevelle shrugged and stepped aside, ignoring the surprised and slightly fearful glances of the other students, and made room for the next person to take their turn. The rest of the class went by quickly, though no one was able to fight the curse nearly as well as Tevelle.

Tevelle was relieved come Friday when Potions was half and hour shorter than usual. She hardly wanted to spend more time in that class than was necessary. The bell rang, dismissing them from class to go and put their books away. Tevelle finished up the essay Snape had made her write and handed in the roll of parchment after securing her pen behind her ear. Many of the other students stared at her for using a muggle pen, instead of a quill, but she found it much easier to use the pen than quill an ink, especially in class.

Snape glared at her as she set the parchment down and walked away, but she had done nothing wrong and here was nothing he could do to take his annoyance out on her.

By the time Tevelle arrived at the front of the castle, the steps were already packed. She fought her way to the edge of the crowd where she could see clearly, yet not be tempted by the pulses of heartbeats surrounding her. She could breathe easier away from the press of bodies, and the beast in her subsided to mere grumbling. Dumbledore noticed her flight to the edge of the throng and nodded his head approvingly.

Gasps washed through the crowd and a lot of the students pointed up to the sky at a black shape that was moving steadily towards them. Guesses and queries rang out in the crisp night air. Tevelle fought not to laugh at some of the guesses. A dragon! What an absurd thought. What dragon would submit to being ridden like a common animal. Wizards did not realize, but dragons were not mere beasts, but prideful creatures with strict laws and morals. Not that different than centaurs in their beliefs.

Someone's guess about a house was the closest. It was a huge powder blue carriage drawn by a dozen palomino winged horses the size of elephants. The carriage landed with a crash and Tevelle frowned. She could hear the whinnying conversation of the Abraxan horses. The giants were the shallowest and most vain of the winged horses. These were no different as Tevelle overheard their speech.

“Does my tail look alright,” one at the front asked plaintively to the one harnessed next to it, “I'm afraid the wind mussed it up a bit and I was really trying to look my best.”

“Your tail looks lovely, dear,” The other replied, “But what about my wings? I combed them specially for today, and now they're all ruffled from flying.”

“Oh, now I've got dust on my hooves. They were just polished too,” another snorted in complaint.

Tevelle rolled her eyes at their frivolous talk and turned her attention to the Beaubatons headmistress who was speaking to Dumbledore.

“'As Karkaroff arrived yet?”

“He should be here any moment. Would you like to wait here an greet him, or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?”

“Warm up, I think,” said Madame Maxime. “But ze 'orses-”

Dumbledore assured her that Hagrid would be able to handle them. After a few moments, Madame Maxime bowed slightly in acceptance, though still slightly unsure.

“Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?”

Tevelle snorted at this. Single-malt whiskey? No wonder these pampered horses were so shallow and high-strung. To be given that when plain water would do just fine.

The Beaubatons students followed their headmistress into the school, and quiet settled as the Hogwarts students waited for Durmstrang to arrive. The stamping of the palominos could be heard clearly, and Tevelle tried to tune out their irritating complaining of the weather and the flight.

“This cold is making my mane soo brittle!” one of the winged horses whickered loudly, and Tevelle was sorely tempted to slap the Abraxen mare's sensitive nose to quiet her. But that would bring her to much attention, something the vampire was unwilling to risk.

“The lake!' A boy named Lee Jordan yelled pointing at it. “Look at the lake!”

Everyone did so and slowly, the skeletal form of a ship rose from the churning black water like some lost pirate's wreck out of myth. A plank was lowered onto the bank and a procession of people disembarked and began walking towards the castle.

Even from that distance, Tevelle could tell that all were dressed in heavy fur coats. The fur was shaggy and matted on all but the man leading them, whose coat was of a sleek, silvery fur that resembled his hair.

Tevelle frowned slightly, and drew on the shadows of the night to hide her, while trying not to appear to obvious. The man in the silver fur was Igor Karkaroff. The man had visited her Coven fifteen years before, and would most likely recognize her. Dumbledore would warn the other Headmasters, but Tevelle didn't want Karkaroff to recognize her and blurt out her secret in surprise of finding a vampire at Hogwarts before Dumbledore had a chance to tell him not to.

“How good it is to be here, how good,” Karkaroff was saying looking up at the school, their greetings apparently said while Tevelle's mind had been wandering. “Viktor, come along, into the warmth...you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold...” He continued, beckoning to one of his students.

A wave of murmurs ran through the crowd. Apparently this Viktor Krum was a bit of a Quidditch star. Tevelle was curious, but nothing more. Quidditch had never interested her, even before her death.

As the rest of the congregation began making their way back inside the castle, Tevelle hung back. Hagrid would probably need some help with the high-strung Abraxan horses and she wanted to give Dumbledore a chance to warn Karkaroff and Madame Maxime without the risk of them spotting her beforehand.

Tevelle walked over to where the giant palominos waited, and joined Hagrid in unharnessing them., The half-giant looked at her startled for a second, but as she did not acknowledge him, he did not send her away.

The great winged horses balked at their unfamiliar presence, but Tevelle swatted them as she had been longing to do.

“Behave, or I'll box your nose again!” She scolded the mare who had been complaining about her mane earlier.

_Stuck up dog food_ , she growled silently realizing that she _much preferred_ the thestrals. Luckily, after that, all the winged horses went meekly into the paddock that had been set up for them. Hagrid nodded sharply once the gate had been latched, not that it would really matter given the horses could fly, and walked back up to the castle. Tevelle followed, slightly annoyed that Hagrid still shunned her despite her help. Shrugging, she entered the dining hall to seek her meal and the goblet of blood that accompanied it.

As she entered she looked up at the head table. Dumbledore smiled at her, thought Madame Maxime became pale and Karkaroff glared. Neither shouted out however; Dumbledore had warned them and they had agreed to keep her secret.

Satisfied, yet still wary, Tevelle went to sit down, but frowned as she neared the Slytherin table. Clustered around Malfoy and his gang was a large portion of the Durmstrang students. Seated at her place setting was Viktor Krum. Normally, she would have had not problem simply moving, but her goblet of blood was there, and she dare not risk him tasting it, even if taking it would be slightly suspicious.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tevelle saw that Karkaroff had noticed her darkening expression and had risen from his seat only to be gently pushed back down into it by Dumbledore. Tevelle would have to thank him, but not at the moment.

Krum casually reached for her goblet just as she came up behind him, and as quickly as her reflexes would allow without spilling any of the precious liquid, Tevelle snatched the goblet from his fingertips.

Krum turned toward her in confusion and surprise.

“You're in my seat,” Tevelle explained impatiently, taking a small careful sip of blood to quell the hunger that had risen in her.

“Excuse me?” Krum blinked and stood slowly as if he didn't fully understand what she was saying, or had taken one too many bludgers to the head. Around him everyone was staring at her as if she had sprouted wings. She could almost hear their thoughts, wondering whether she really knew who he was.

“You are in my seat,” Tevelle repeated and Krum's baffled expression eased slightly. At least he wasn't a complete idiot.

“I vas not aware, I am sorry. Vould you like to sit down? I vill request another plate for you.”

Flattered as she was by Krum's courteous manner, Tevelle was only half tempted to take the swat. Sure she wanted to emphasize that Krum was no god to be worshiped by mere mortals, but on the other hand, did she want to sit surrounded by Malfoy's gang and an affronted group of Durmstrang students? This was probably the only chance she was going to get to eat a meal without having to listen to Malfoy's bragging.

“No. if you can stand these people, then you deserve to sit here,” she nodded towards Malfoy, letting disdain color her voice, “Though if you find their conversation interesting, I pity you greatly.” With that she turned on her heel and strode away., Still, with her slightly superhuman senses she caught the amusement Krum felt as well as Malfoy's outrage.

Tevelle smiled and took one of the empty seats at the far end of the table. This was going to be interesting.

After the second course had been consumed and cleared, Dumbledore stood and an expectant hush filled the hall. The excited tension was palpable and Tevelle scowled uncomfortably at the sensation. Her heightened senses allowed her to feel a piece of every person's excitement and it was slightly overwhelming.

“The moment has come,” Dumbledore beamed at the students, “The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those that do not know them, Mr. Bartemous Crouch, Head of the Department of International magical Cooperation and Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.”

There was a good deal more applause for Ludo Bagman than Bartemous Crouch, but Tevelle kept her hands still in her lap. She didn't like Ministry officials. They tended to be the most prejudiced toward her kind, even when their office was irrelevant such a sports. Still, when Crouch's gaze swept the hall she ducked her head, suddenly finding the woodgrain of the table very interesting and let her hair fall to obscure what showed of her face. She didn't want to be recognized by them unless there was no way to avoid it.

Dumbledore was speaking again and Tevelle returned her attention back to the present and to the Headmaster. “Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts. The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch.”

Tevelle felt as if she could pluck the tense excitement that suddenly filled the hall like a harp string. She resisted the urge to lick her lips as the pulses of the students surrounding her raced, their heartbeats loud to her ears.

The headmaster was speaking again as Filch carried in an ancient jewel encrusted case, but Tevelle was to busy concentrating to truly hear what Dumbledore was saying. It took all of her energy just to keep her muscles from tensing up visibly an preventing herself from springing on any of the students despite the goblet of blood she had just enjoyed.

Her thirst died when she noticed a goblet filled with something quite different from blood held in Dumbledore's hands. Blue-white flame flickered within the rim of the simple wood cup. It was a wonder the thing did not catch fire.

“To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.”

Idly, Tevelle wondered if the age line would work on her. Technically she was as old as some of the teachers, but her body was of a fourteen year old and had been for quite some time. Which part of her would the age line recognize? Perhaps she should try to cross one night. It would be interesting to see the result. Obviously she would not put her name in the Goblet, but she did not need to in order to cross the age line.

Students were rising from their seats and exiting the hall, bringing Tevelle back to herself. Apparently she had missed the rest of Dumbledore's speech, but it did not matter as she had no intention of entering the tournament. Hastily, she stood and made her way towards the doors into the entrance hall. She found herself close behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She considered pulling Hermione aside and showing her the sample leaflets she had drawn, but did not want to interrupt the argument she was having with the Weasley twins.

Harry stopped to let Karkaroff and the Durmstrang students through first. Karkaroff brushed past him carelessly but froze when his eyes caught on Harry's lightning shaped scar. His students halted as well and stared at Harry curiously. One particularly sloppy boy pointed openly at Harry's scar.

Tevelle could feel a scowl pull the corners of her mouth downward. There was no need for those people to gawk at him like he was some sort of animal in a zoo. Tevelle was just about to step forward and reprimand them for being so rude when Professor Moody spoke up from behind them.

“Yeah, that's Harry Potter,” Moody growled.

Karkaroff looked towards him and Tevelle saw a flicker of anger in his eyes. Then his gaze shifted to Tevelle. She caught his eyes with hers and shook her head slightly, warning him not to make a scene. Fear mingled with his look of fury and all color drained from his face. Tevelle had to restrain a sigh at his reaction. It got very annoying when everyone's first reaction to her was fear.

“You!” Karkaroff said in astonishment and for a second Tevelle was unsure whether he spoke to her or Moody. _Must be speaking to Moody,_ She reflected, _he already knew I was here._

“Me,” said Moody grimly, oblivious to Tevelle's effect on Karkaroff. “And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway.”

Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. A look of intense dislike showed on Moody's scarred face as he watched Professor Karkaroff leave. Tevelle understood their mutual hatred, but could find no part for herself on either side.

Aurorurs hated her kind, seeing vampires as servants of the darker side of magic when in reality they were just as much dark creatures as wizards themselves. And though Karkaroff had visited her Coven fifteen years prior, neither she nor her Coven bore Karkaroff any love.

This train of thought carried her out of the hall and back to the dormitories. Once there she waited quietly in her corner for the rest of the castle to fall asleep. Assured that her way was clear and she remained unobserved, Tevelle drew on a cloak of shadows and made her way back down to the entrance hall where the Goblet of Fire awaited any participant's entry. The age line shimmered dully in a light circle around the goblet.

Confidently, Tevelle stepped across. She made no move toward the goblet. She did not even have a strip of parchment to drop within the blue-white flames on which she would divulge her name and school. The vampire had no wish to enter the Tournament, it would hardly have been a fair contest that way. Tevelle laughed softly to herself when the age line remained quiescent. Apparently it recognized that she was older then she appeared.

A sound to quiet for any ordinary human to hear caught her attention. Someone was coming, and not a student. This person was to quiet to be traveling without the aid of a spell to ensure none heard them. That kind of spell was only potent enough to guard against human ears not a vampire's. Still, it was the kind of spell an Auroror or Dark wizard would know. Someone accustomed to sneaking about and remaining unseen as they carried out possibly less than appealing tasks. Tevelle got the feeling she did not want to be found standing next to the Goblet of Fire just then. Swiftly, she stalked to the shadowed wall and allowed the darkness to conceal her from even the most careful eye.

Someone entered, her predatory instincts told her though her eyes insisted that the room remained bereft of any save her. Impatiently, Tevelle closed her eyes so she could better use her other senses that were less likely to be fooled. Yes, there it was, a heartbeat and the accompanying pulse of blood. Tevelle allowed her inner monster to surface slightly so that she could better observe this person. A sense of foreboding filled her as her senses sharpened and her added senses flared into life. This person had some Dark purpose in mind. For a second Tevelle was tempted to sneak up on the intruder and whip off their invisibility cloak to reveal them. But the monster in her dashed that idea quickly away. Self survival was one of the most potent instincts in vampires and not easily overridden. Her safety here was tenuous at best already and all it would take to reveal her secret to the wrong person was one brash move on her part. Perhaps her vampire nature had more sense than her human side. She would not be surprised.

Light suddenly flared through Tevelle's eyelids, startling her into opening them. The light flared once again, blinding her. The brightness was painful to her overly sensitive eyes ans she bit back a whimper. Once the pain subsided she was able to work out that the flare had been the Goblet's wards fighting back whatever charm this wizard was trying to impress on it. Dark magic was thick in the air and Tevelle found it hard to breathe for the solidity of it. She needed to leave or she could suffocate. As quickly and as quietly as she was able, Tevelle fled the room. She did not stop until she reached the dormitory.

Tevelle found no rest that night. A single idea kept running through her mind. There was something more going on here. Someone at Hogwarts was not as they seemed.


	6. Blood Flame

The next morning was Saturday the 31st; Halloween. Tevelle had been up all night, considering what powers she had felt working against the Goblet. Had the charm worked? What was its purpose?

As the first rays of dawn crept up into the sky Tevelle impatiently pushed those unpleasant thoughts out of her mind. It was  _Halloween,_ her favorite time of the year. Most of the vampires in her Coven disliked the holiday and found it an "annoying imitation of the true day". Tevelle could not care less whether the rituals were fitting of the original or not, all she knew was that this was the one day a year she could reveal a small bit of her true nature without humans finding it strange. They would simply assume that she was getting into the spirit of the day. Tevelle smirked, a slightly blood thirsty grin, as she left the dormitory for the Great Hall. The halls were deserted and she briefly considered going down to the Lake for a swim. _No_ , she decided. Swimming would be better for later in the day. Cold did not harm her as it would a human, but it was bothersome and the water would be less frigid with the sun overhead. Tevelle turned her footsteps back to the Dining Hall. Perhaps it was not to early for breakfast.

To her surprise, all of the Durmstrang students were already in the Great Hall eating their breakfast. Tevelle had expected students to be up earlier than usual today, but not this early. Perhaps the Durmstrang students had gotten up early to put their names in the Goblet and had simply decided to have breakfast while they were already nearby.

Walking towards her usual seat, Tevelle found that all of the Durmstrang students had occupied the chairs and benches around hers, but none had sat there. Krum had claimed a chair next to Tevelle's and when he saw her he jumped up to his feet. Those closes to him respectfully followed suit, though those farther down jeered good naturedly at Krum's awkwardness. As Tevelle got closer he pulled out her chair and offered it to her in such a gentlemanly and serious way that she fought not to laugh. Resisting the impulse, Tevelle arched an eyebrow amusedly and calmly sat. Despite her stoic demeanor, Tevelle was laughing uproariously inside and could tell everyone else was the same.

"I see you got up early," Tevelle remarked politely once everyone was seated again, reaching for her goblet of blood.

"So did you." Was Krum's response.

"Well, I always get up this early." The vampire lied.

"So do I."

"Touche," Tevelle smiled. Krum wasn't as bad as he had first appeared. She still thought he was a tad bit arrogant, but he was entertaining.

"Did you enter?" Krum asked.

"Mmm?"

"The Tournament. Did you enter the Tournament?"

Tevelle swallowed a large bite of toast before answering.

"Too young." That was a flat out lie, but Krum didn't need to know that she was as old, if not older than, some of the Professors.

"Really, I vould not have thought."

"I'm only fourteen."

"You seem older."

"Oh,... well..." Tevelle shrugged focusing once again on her meal, this time ladling a heap of eggs onto her plate.

"Vould you enter if you vere of age?"

"Probably not. I'm not really into eternal glory and all that." Tevelle explained.

"Ah," Was Krum's skeptical response

Tevelle took another sip of blood and the two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"Vat is it you are drinking?" Krum asked to break the quiet.

For a second Tevelle was tempted to lie and say it was pumpkin juice colored to look like blood, or tomato juice, but she changed her mind. It would probably hurt her in the long run, but it was Halloween. She was entitled to a little fun, wasn't she?

"Blood," Tevelle said as if she ware remarking on a passing yet unremarkable test grade.

Krum smiled slowly as if he couldn't tell if she were telling the truth or not.

"You are joking."

It was Tevelle's turn to smile, a secretive, malicious smile. "Perhaps."

The Qudditch player's friendly grin faltered for a second as he considered all the implications of her words. Finally, deciding she was indeed joking, Krum laughed.

"Well, I need to go." Tevelle said after gulping down the rest of her blood and standing.

"Vere?" He asked, rising with her politely.

"I have to meet someone."

"This early?"

"Yes, this early." Tevelle hardened her voice, fast losing patience with Krum's polite nosiness. "Now, pleasant as our breakfast has been, I really must be going."

Slightly put out, Krum bowed ans returned to his seat. Tevelle smiled as she would if she had just seen a puppy do something adorable.  _Puppy_. The vampire rolled the word around in her head. Yes, that was the appropriate term for the way Krum was acting.

A yawn made her jaw creak and Tevelle changed her direction. She hadn't rested in a while and was still unused to moving about by day. Every muscle in her body screamed for the trance-like state that was a vampire's version of sleep. Perhaps there was time for a nap before her afternoon swim. A short nap. Only a few hours. Tevelle woke in time for lunch. She almost decided to skip it , but her inner beast argued otherwise. Her vampiric nature growled discontentedly at the long time gone without blood. And what would happen to the goblet of the succulent red drink if she did not go down to retrieve it? What if someone else spilled it or picked it up by accident? Being discovered would not be worth the small temporary comfort that lazing about would bring.

Sighing at the inconvenience, Tevelle tore out of the dormitory, earing a few startled glances from her fellow Slytherins, and rushed down the corridors towards the dining hall. She distantly heard Malfoy say something to her as she chugged down the blood and snatched up a roll, but the words became unintelligible buzzing in her disinterested ears. She left a dismayed looking boy behind her, but hardly noticed. Her mind was already on the refreshing swim she was about to have. The sun was shining brightly and she grimaced, extracting a small bottle of potion from her bag. She gulped down the rancid brew hastily noting that she would have to get more soon. Luckily winter was approaching and the days were getting shorter and darker.

_Only a few more months of you, Sun, then we'll see who's stronger!_ Tevelle though cheerfully at the fiery orb that hung high in the sky. It was jibe she made traditionally around this time of year. Her hood sheltered her eyes adequately as she walked down to the lake; she didn't want to wait for the potion to take effect, by the time she had to shed her cloak to swim, the potion would be working its magic and the vampire could move unpained by the sun.

The water lapped lazily at he feet as she wadded in now clad only in her swimsuit. The water and air were cold, but not cold enough to be a bother. Smiling, Tevelle began doing lazy circuits of the portion of the lake she was in. Every so often she would dive down to touch the bottom and then back up. Still, as entertaining as this was, it got old after a while. Maybe the Giant Squid would come out to play?

Tevelle allowed her vampiric senses to widen slightly so they covered most of the lake. Hunger stirred in her briefly as the scent of diluted blood filled her mouth along with water. A grindylow had just claimed a fish, but Tevelle shut off her vampire nature before blood-lust could take hold. She already knew where the Squid was and would not need to expose her vampire nature to blood again, no matter how faint the trace was.

She took a deep breath an ducked underwater. There, she could see the Giant Squid several hundred meters off, wrapping its great tentacles around the hull of the Durmstrang ship like some Kraken out of legend preparing to snap the ship in half and drag it down. Tevelle smiled. The Squid would never do such a thing in real life, it was too docile, but it wouldn't hurt for the creature to entertain fantasies about being a infamous monster.

Tevelle swam over to it, making sure she wasn't seen. As soon as she got close enough, Tevelle reached out and tickled a huge tentacle. At first the Giant Squid didn't notice, but when it did, the Squid withdrew slightly before snaking out another of its many limbs and attempted to catch her. Tevelle dodged, letting the Squid know she was only playing. The click of beak was all the answer she got, but it was enough to tell that she could tease the creature without angering it.

The game progressed, the Squid shooting out tentacles in attempts to catch her, and Tevelle dodging and tickling the Squid in turn. Every few minutes, Tevelle would swim to the surface for air, in the event someone happened to be watching out a window, and the game would pause before beginning again once she was ready. About half an hour into the game, there was a splash above them. If there was the chance one of the other students was crazy enough to go swimming in this cold water, then Tevelle didn't want to be seen doing anything unusual such as holding her breath for minutes at a time.

Her legs moved easily through the water as she kicked her way to the surface leisurely. Tevelle groaned inwardly when she discovered that it was, in fact, another student, but whoever was crazy enough to go swimming when it was nearly winter she couldn't guess.

"What are you doing?" Tevelle demanded the moment her head broke the surface. The other swimmer was faced away from her, but she already had a sinking feeling she knew who it was.

"Vat do you mean vat am I doing? Vat are you doing here?"

Yes, it was Krum. Why did he always turn up where ever she was? At the moment the famous Quidditch player was rather flustered, his hair in disarray from the dive and skin tinged blue from the cold. If Tevelle hadn't been thoroughly exasperated, she would have been amused.

"I'm swimming. Isn't it obvious?" Tevelle answered acidly, "What'd you do, fall off the ship or something?"

Krum scowled at the insult, but he seemed puzzled at her sudden hostility.

"I am svimming, like you."

"Really," Tevelle said, treading water to keep afloat. She was suddenly in a  _very_  bad mood. Perhaps she was picking up on the Giant Squid's discontent with her stopping their game so suddenly. "You know, unless you're a die hard fan of mine, Krum, I don't have a fan club, and I really don't want one, so can you stop following me?"

"I am not following you." Krum growled dimly, reacting to the predator that was surfacing in Tevelle.

"Well, then can you stop turning up where ever I am?"

"Vhy?"

"Because," Tevelle thought for a second, "When I'm around people too much, I tend to get annoyed with them and hate talking to them. That would be bad because you're one of the few people at meals that I could even conceivably have an intelligent conversation with."

Krum looked at a breathless Tevelle in surprise. She was a bit surprised herself at what she said, but quickly regained equilibrium. Deciding she was done swimming, Tevelle turned and ducked under the water to make her way to shore. The feast would begin soon anyway and she wanted to dry off first. Unsure of whether Krum was still watching, Tevelle was careful to come up for air every thirty seconds or so.

She took her time getting back and it was nearly dark by the time the castle door closed behind her. When she was dressed in dry clothes and had magicked her hair dry it was nearly time for the feast to begin. Tonight, three champions would emerge. Surprisingly, Malfoy decided not to sit with her, but neither did Krum. The first was welcome, but the latter kind of disappointing.

_Guess he took me seriously,_  Tevelle remarked silently to herself. Still, if he had taken her words to heart he would have realized that at meals she welcomed his presence.  _Ah well_ , concluded Tevelle as she gulped down her thrice daily dose of blood.

The meal was unbearably slow and tensions between the houses as well as individual students ran high. This set the vampire on edge and she found her appetite for food diminish and her thirst for blood grow. Tevelle picked at her food, not eating, as she struggled with her inner beast that had been provoked severely by the shared stress in the hall. Silently, she begged the Goblet to be ready to reveal who it had chosen soon. She reached for her blood to steady herself and drained it dry, guzzling the precious liquid greedily. Not enough, not nearly enough.

The doors opened, there was a slight bang, but that wasn't what startled Tevelle almost enough to distract her from the blood pumping through the veins of every human in the hall. Almost before the incoming figure could be seen, the vampiric side of Tevelle roared to the surface. Every minute detail seemed clearer, the colors brighter, especially red, every sound was magnified.

_Vampire!_  Tevelle's inner beast screamed in territorial fury, urging Tevelle to spring over the table and attack. She held it in check, barely. The figure stepped completely across the threshold and immediately her inner beast calmed, or at least refocused on the need for blood.

" _Control!"_  A commanding, cultured voice said in her mind.

Tevelle looked at the newcomer. His neat black hair nearly brushed his shoulders, framing his unnaturally pale face. Dark eyes with the iris as black as the pupil but with a slightly red tint gave the white face a brooding appearance only enhanced by a stern expression that indicated pursed lips more often than smiles. The aristocratic nose gave his face the classic look like the type of face one would see on some ancient bust of a prince or king. His tall lank frame was clothed in a crisp black shirt and pants covered overall by a long dark red cloak clasped with a silver brooch shaped like a spider. Boot heels clicked purposefully on the floor as he strode forward towards the teacher's table. Silence followed in his wake.

Tevelle smiled. " _Xeven, thought you had turned over my education to Dumbledore."_  She remarked silently. Tevelle had no doubt he would hear. As one of the oldest vampires, perhaps the oldest, Xeven had honed his vampiric powers until they were potent enough for him to speak with others, vampire or not, with his mind. He could also hear the thoughts of most others. Tevelle's skill with telepathy was limited; she could amplify her thoughts for Xeven to hear specific words or catch images, but that was it, and only Xeven could hear her.

_"Who said anything about teaching, Little Bat? I am here to see the Tournament."_ Xeven's cultured voice sounded amused in her head.

" _Really,"_  She thought wryly at him as he approached Dumbledore. He glanced at the Goblet of Fire. Tevelle could sense his amusement.

"Greetings Headmaster Dumbledore," His voice was accented heavily but precise so that every syllable was clear, and it was difficult to tell exactly where the accent had come from. 

"It has been a long time, Xeven." The headmaster said, standing and bowing from the waist.

Xeven nodded in return and projected his mind's voice into Dumbledore's mind.

" _About a century I believe."_  Tevelle overheard the silent comment.

"You are rounding up again, my friend." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

In answer to Dumbledore Xeven merely nodded again, a slight smile touching his marble lips.

"Would you like to join the feast? The Goblet will choose its champions soon." The headmaster offered, conjuring a chair in the space between him and the Madame Maxime.

"I would be grateful, I have had a tiering journey, but first, if I could speak with my daughter?"

" _Daughter?"_  Tevelle asked silently, skeptical.

" _Well our relationship is more akin to parent and child than brother and sister, and certainly more believable."_

" _Yeah, I'm your apprentice, and you're my mentor, definitely my dad."_

_"The correct phrasing is 'I am' and 'you are'."_

Tevelle laughed quietly to herself and the small sound carried farther in the dead silent hall than it would normally. Those closest to her glanced her way, probably worried for her sanity.

"Of course, you will have to hurry, however, if you wish to speak before the Goblet chooses." Dumbledore said.

Xeven bowed politely before turning and walking back down the middle of the hall. He motioned to Tevelle, no more than a flick of the eyes and a fluttering of the hand, but Tevelle knew he meant for her to make a show of her going to him.

" _Why?"_ Tevelle questioned him silently.

_"If they know you are my daughter, they will not question me visiting you often."_

_"How often is 'often'?"_

There was only silence from him and Tevelle knew she would not get an answer out of him until she did as he said. She paused for a moment, breaking into a smile. She would make a scene like Xeven asked, but it would not be how he intended.

"Daddy!" Tevelle called, standing up in her chair. "Over here!"

The wave of exasperation that rippled outward from Xeven was palpable as the heads of every student in the hall turned to look at her.

"Tevelle, come. I must have a word with you."

She smiled and made her way over to where he waited by the large doors. "Can't it wait until after the Goblet chooses? I don't want to miss it."

"Very well," Xeven took her hands, no doubt doing his very best imitation of a parent greeting his child warmly. Tevelle felt something smooth and hard press into her hand. The vampire in her smelled blood.

" _A blood candy. You need it if you are to last through the feast."_

_"Thanks."_

"Thanks Dad, would you like to sit with me?"

" _It is 'thank you'."_

"No," Xeven said aloud. "I will sit with Headmaster Dumbledore, we have a lot to catch up on."

Tevelle smiled, gave him a quick hug, which Xeven returned stiffly, and went back to her seat. Silence persisted in the air until Xeven sat and began speaking to Dumbledore. Once the silence broke, all the students began speaking at once. The uproar was deafening, though both Xeven and Dumbledore appeared oblivious.

"Is that really your father?" An arrogant voice asked behind her, startling Tevelle. The vampire in her growled violently; she popped the blood candy in her mouth to pacify it before turning.

"No, he's an impostor." Tevelle said tersely to Malfoy, wondering why he cared.

" _Yes,_  he's my father." She added when she saw the blond-haired boy's confused expression.

"Is he one of the pureblood families?" Malfoy asked. 

She was mildly surprised one with a lineage as pureblood as Malfoy did not recognize Xeven. The elder vampire often served as an ambassador of sorts towards wizarding kind on behalf of vampire kind as a whole. Draco was obviously not privy to nearly as much of his father's political dealings as the boy thought. For the sole heir in his middle teenage years to be so disconected from the intricacies of his inheritance, strange. 

"I honestly don't know," Tevelle growled, "Quiet now, the Goblet's almost ready." Thankfully, Malfoy sat, albeit sulkily, and stopped talking.

Tevelle took a few bites of her meal then reached for her goblet before remembering that it was empty. Uncomfortably, she reached for a pitcher filled with water. The liquid was tasteless in her mouth and felt strangely thin going down her throat. It had been a while since she had had anything other than blood to drink. Discontent, Tevelle settled in to wait, forestalling any attempts at conversation by Malfoy with an impatient glare.

Finally, Dumbledore finished his meal and the plates cleared. As the silver-haired headmaster stood, a hush fell over the assemblage.

In the short space of time between Dumbledore finishing his meal and standing, Tevelle studied the people seated at the staff table. Many were eyeing Xeven uncertainly. Moody and the Ministry officials along with Snape were glaring at him openly. Madame Maxime was surreptitiously leaning away from him. Towards all of this, Xeven remained carefully oblivious though he could not have missed the general feeling of hostility the adults felt towards him. Of them all, besides Dumbledore, Karkaroff appeared the most comfortable but that was probably from the week he had spent visiting Tevelle and Xeven's Coven.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions."

With a sweeping wave of his wand, the candles in the hall except for the ones in the pumpkins that floated above extinguished, dimming the light to reflect the level of suspense in the room.

The Goblet flickered, its flames bright and growing brighter. Tevelle squinted her eyes against the painful glare. Suddenly, the flames turned a bright blood red. The vampire in Tevelle quieted suddenly, entranced by the flames licking at the air. Tevelle leaned forward towards the Goblet; it was enchanting and she couldn't seem to tear her eyes off it. A single flame shot a charred slip of parchment upward and all eyes by hers followed it. Tevelle couldn't look away, didn't want to look away, until the fire turned back to a blue-white color.

"The Champion for Durmstrang," Tevelle heard Dumbledore say in a clear voice, "Will be Viktor Krum."

The applause that followed the announcement was tumultuous, and Tevelle clapped along politely, impatient for the Goblet to turn red again.

"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff boomed, "Knew you had it in you!"

If Krum shared in the elation of those around him, he didn't show it; he sullenly slouched up to the staff table and disappeared into the room indicated beyond.

The chanting died down and once again the flames in the Goblet turned a bright blood red. This time Tevelle didn't even note the piece of charred parchment that floated up into the air, so entranced was she by the fire.

"The Champion of Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!" Dumbledore announced as the flames turned blue-white once again. The vampire in Tevelle, no longer distracted by the blood-colored flame, clamored for blood. Tevelle, to distracted by her inner beast's pleas for the creamy taste of part-veela blood, forgot even to clap as the Beauxbatons Champion swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables to follow where Krum went.

The Hogwarts Champion was next, and as the flame turned red again, Tevelle's vampire nature fell silent, enthralled.

"The Hogwarts Champion," Dumbledore read from the scrap of parchment "is Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric smiled as he made his way up to the Staff table amid the uprear form the Hufflepuff table. Tevelle tried to clap, but instead ended up gripping the table so tightly the wood creaked. Her inner beast knew the flame would no turn red again, and could not now be pacified. Terrified she would slip and reveal herself, Tevelle grasped desperately for any way to control the blood lust that was rising inside her. Dumbledore was speaking, but Tevelle did not hear. Still, she noticed when he suddenly stopped.

Almost as suddenly, the vampire could no longer think. The fire in the Goblet had turned red again and Tevelle could not tear her gaze away.

Dumbledore reached out with a long hand and grabbed the parchment fluttering up from the flames as if by reflex. There was silence in which everyone waited expectantly. Tevelle's vampire nature roared inside her as the fire in the Goblet faded back to blue-white for the last time. Tevelle could feel her control slipping and began to panic.

" _Hush, you are making a racket. I want to hear this,"_  Xeven's commanding voice pierced through the fog surrounding her mind like an arrow shaft. The vampire in her quieted in response to a direct order from the head of her Coven. Tevelle was about to thank him when Dumbledore's voice cut through her thoughts.

" _Harry Potter_."


	7. Discussions

The hall was dead silent as Harry walked up towards the staff table. At first he hadn’t moved, but after prodding form Hermione and Dumbledore’s order, he managed to move. Tevelle could almost taste the fear spiraling off him.

            _Was this what the mysterious person did to the goblet last night? Trick the goblet into thinking there were four schools and enter Harry?_ _Or had it been Harry himself?_ No, he had been truly surprised and even frightened when his name had been called, and he was not nearly skilled enough to trick such a powerful magical artifact.

            Perhaps Xeven would be able to shed some light on this.

            As soon as Harry disappeared, an angry buzzing broke out. Dumbledore quickly dismissed everyone and, trailed by the other headmasters, professors, and other officials; disappeared into the room in which the four champions waited.

            “ _Tevelle, hold back. I still need to speak with you.”_

            She did as Xeven said and would have even if he had not reminded her. It had been a while since she saw him and there were important things for them to discuss.

            Xeven came up beside her and began leading her into the entrance hall and through the great doors that opened out to the grounds. Tevelle was slightly surprised when he angled their path towards the lake.

            “I would think the Forbidden Forest would be a better place to talk.” Tevelle pointed out quietly as they reached the pebbly shore.

            “No, it would be too simple for someone to eavesdrop.”

            “Well, if eavesdropping is a problem, we can talk mind to mind.”

            “We still must appear to be talking and you are still having difficulties carrying on two conversations at once.”

            “Alright,” Tevelle sighed, “What do you want to talk about?”

            “First, drink this.” Xeven handed her a bottle and she smelled blood. The vampire in her eagerly complied and Xeven continued, “Second, I think I will have Dumbledore double your dosage of blood for at least one meal.”

            “Why? I’m doing fine with just the three goblets.”

            “Judging from your performance tonight, that is not the case. Your control is not strong enough yet.”

            “But…” Tevelle kicked a pebble into the lake, watching the ripples in the dark water carefully as she thought up an argument.

            “ _Do not try to get out of it._ ” Xeven growled into her mind. “You do not have the control necessary to keep you vampire side in check without the additional blood. Most vampires would rather have the extra blood.”  
            “But I want to be able to control myself, not depend on large amounts of blood,” Tevelle complained. She was getting whiney, something she didn’t like, but was too tired and bloodthirsty to really care.

            “ _See you already are letting your vampire side and its need for blood dictate your moods. Finish the blood I gave you and no more arguing.”_

 _“Alright, alright, I’ll take the extra goblet.”_ Tevelle relented, gulping the rest of the red liquid that sloshed around in the bottle to show she meant it. “Thanks for caring, dad,” she added aloud.

            Xeven grumbled noncommittally, starting to walk once again. Tevelle followed slowly, gathering her thoughts for describing what she had witnessed the night before.

            “Just picture it in your mind. I will see and hear all you remember,” Xeven said. For a second Tevelle wondered how he knew what she was contemplating, but that feeling was only momentary. Xeven did this a lot, whenever she couldn’t find words.           

Tevelle concentrated so that a stream of images played through her mind steadily and without interruption and she amplified those thoughts so Xeven would see them in his own mind as if he had experienced them himself. Xeven grunted dismissively when she focused on the secrecy of the person who had sneaked their way into the hall so skillfully.

            “ _Merely someone who wishes to keep his or her entry a secret. It could even have been that Potter boy; he owns an invisibility cloak.”_ Xeven suggested silently, clearly not experiencing the same apprehension that Tevelle had felt.

            “No, there’s more,” Tevelle said aloud, unable to frame the statement in her mind without disrupting the smooth flow of memory.

            Almost impatiently, Tevelle shifted her focus to the memory of what the intruder had done. Her mind flinched as she recalled the blinding flash of light as the goblet protested against whatever spell the intruder had cast. The feeling of suffocation she had felt came rushing back to her and the tang of dark magic was almost an actual taste on her tongue.

            “Very well,” Xeven said emotionlessly, skillfully bringing an end to the projection her mind had created to an abrupt end. “I see what it is you mean.”

            A relieved sigh escaped Tevelle as she relaxed, no longer needing to worry about it. Everything was not in Xeven‘s more than capable hands. “ _What will you do?_ ” Tevelle asked silently, mildly curious how the ancient vampire would handle this.

            “I will bring the matter to Dumbledore’s attention when I discuss with him your increased dosage. He is unable to do much now, but he should still be made aware of Harry Potter’s innocence.” Xeven explained, his voice taking on the tone he normally used when lecturing.

            “I was not aware you were a Professor, Xeven.” Tevelle teased.

            “There are many things you do not know about me, student.” A flicker of an eye belied the stern, no nonsense tone he had adopted. His stoic expression could have rivaled McGonagall.

            “Oh, and what is it you teach?”

            “I” Xeven began arrogantly, “am an esteemed Professor of Defense against the Dark Arts of the very prestigious school, the Order of the Dracul.”

            “So you defend against yourself?”

            To this, Xeven merely scowled lightheartedly.

            “And,” Tevelle continued, “You know that that school hasn’t existed for over a hundred years?”

            “That, little bat, does not make the position any less prestigious.”

            Tevelle laughed at the absurdness if the statement.

            “I am glad you find me so amusing,” Xeven said with a wry smile, “now you must be getting back. You have homework and as your father it would not be proper for me to keep you from that.”

            “But _daddy_!” Tevelle groaned, not yet ready to say goodbye to such a beautiful night.

            “If you do not argue I will see if I can send for some bloodvelvet cake.”

            Tevelle’s eyes widened in both surprise and excitement.

            “ _Bloodvelvet cake? You mean it?_ ” she asked silently, to shocked for words. Bloodvelvet cake was a vampire delicacy that very few could make with any skill. The treat was a favorite of many vampires that resembled the muggle red velvet cake so much that it was often mistaken for it. The red coloring, though, came not from dye, but from blood that was stirred into the batter so that the flavor of blood permeated every crumb. The light, airy icing was usually either blood flavored as well or chocolate.

            “ _Yes, with chocolate icing._ ” Xeven assured her in the same manner.

            Tevelle smiled in anticipation. Chocolate iced Bloodvelvet cake was her favorite and Xeven knew it. Swiftly, Tevelle gave her mentor a rough hug and practically ran back to the castle. She could hear Xeven’s amused mental laugh and this only spurred her to go faster. Soon she was traveling much faster than any human could and the individual blades of muted brown grass cast with a silver light from the moon were indistinguishable in a solid, multi-hued color. The castle loomed against the nightscape rather suddenly and Tevelle pulled herself to a stop, dismay showing on her face.

            “It took you long enough,” Xeven said from the shadows in which he leaned leisurely against the door. He pushed himself upright and walked over to her smiling smugly. Tevelle frowned. _How did he get here so fast?_

            Xeven chuckled, “Do you think I will tell you that? That little trick you will have to figure out on your own, at least if you want to master it before your schooling here is over.”

            “Xeven! What’s the point of showing me then?” Tevelle said exasperated.

            In answer he merely shrugged noncommittally.

            “Well, do I still get the cake?”

            “If you finish your homework before dawn.”

            “Fine!” She growled. She was hoping to wander the castle, despite Xeven’s order to do her homework, but he would know if she shirked at all. Still, a pity he didn’t consider simply making it back to the castle and wasting the beautiful night effort enough on her part.

            “Do not worry, a night such as this will come again, and sooner than you might think.” Xeven assured her.

            “I know, but it’s _Halloween_.”

            “Then go wreak havoc, but confine it to your dormitory and only _after_ you have finished your work.”

            “Yes, _father_ , but don’t forget our deal.”

            “You have my word.”

            Sullenly, Tevelle trudged back to the Slytherin common room. Xeven had set the deadline at dawn, which gave her a few hours, and he hadn’t said how long she had to take on her way back. Deciding on an unnecessarily circuitous route, Tevelle began walking at a leisurely pace. The corridor she was in took her past the portrait hole that lead to the Gryffindor tower.

            Apparently, her late night walk with her mentor had not been as long as she thought, for as she turned the corner at the end of the hall, she ran straight into Harry Potter, knocking him to the ground.

            “Ow! Watch it!” Harry cried as he hit the floor.

            “Sorry.” Tevelle, who was still standing, reached down to help him up. “I wasn’t paying attention, it was my fault.” She continued, slightly dismayed at herself for not noticing his presence. If she hadn’t been so preoccupied with circumventing Xeven’s orders while still earning the bloodvelvet cake she would have been more careful. Now she would have to explain to Harry Potter why she was up so late.

            “Don’t worry about it. Why are you up so late? If a teacher finds you, you’ll be in trouble.” Harry’s voice became concerned as the conversation shifted.

             “I’ll be fine,” Tevelle assured him as she hauled him to his feet. “I’d be more worried about yourself.”

            “I was talking with Dumbledore and the other headmasters and champions. No one wants to believe that I didn’t put my name in the goblet, even though I really didn’t.”

            Tevelle shrugged. “People believe what they want to believe, which is not always the truth. Trust me on this.” She briefly thought about all of the common misconceptions and prejudices people held against vampires, even muggles who didn’t even believe vampires existed. She sighed softly in regret for all of the pain that simple misunderstanding had caused throughout the centuries.

            Harry couldn’t know what specifically she referred to, but he understood the idea.

            “What do you believe?” he asked a bit timidly, something that seemed completely out of place given his hero persona. Still, this was probably closer to what he was really like instead of how everyone believed him to be.

            “You didn’t put your name in that goblet, because you know that being famous isn’t really all that much fun.”

            Harry Potter smiled in relief as she said this, as if he would be afraid she would say something else. Tevelle almost laughed at the absurd expression on his face.

            “We better get back to our common rooms,” Harry said to cover up his awkwardness and Tevelle smiled at him in a friendly manner.

            “Yeah,” she started to turn away, but remembered something important. Reaching into her bag she pulled out the drafts of the SPEW pamphlets she had finished for Hermione. “Um, could you pass these onto Hermione for me?”

            “Sure” Harry answered, obviously curious.

            “They’re leaflets for SPEW that I volunteered to draw up for Hermione.” Tevelle supplied for him.

            “You’re a member of SPEW?”

            “Yeah, don’t look so surprised, it’s a good idea.”

            “Oh, it’s just I didn’t think a Slytherin would be interested in that kind of thing.”

            “And why not?” Tevelle asked in a dangerously soft voice.            

            “It’s just Slytherins are usually the strongest supporters of enslaving House Elves, even if they do like it.”

            “I didn’t _choose_ to be in Slytherin.” Tevelle stated coldly allowing her anger at his senseless and stereotypical statement to color her words.

            “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just… I’m surprised.” Harry tried again.

            “And why, pray tell, are you surprised? Is it just because I’m Slytherin? Would you be shocked if I were a Hufflepuff?” She snapped.

            “No… I-”

            “No, just forget it and quit before you dig yourself a deeper hole. Good night, and congratulations on becoming Champion.” The vampire cut him off and walked away, leaving the bewildered Boy Who Lived gaping at her retreating figure and clutching the papers in his hands.

            When Tevelle made it back to her dormitory she headed straight to her room. She could have done her homework in the common room, but she was not in the mood to fend off Malfoy’s pestering. It would be quieter surrounded by the dark green wall hangings that went around her bed. She finished her homework quicker than she had imagined and spent the rest of the night imagining what the tasks the four Champions would face might be for lack of anything more interesting to think about. She then remembered the stunt Xeven had pulled and began contemplating how he might have done it.

            Apparating was a possibility, but with no sound and on school grounds that had anit-apparation wards? It could still be some form of teleportation though.

            These thoughts carried the vampire’s exhausted mind into the sleep-like stupor that provided her with rest. In her dreams she was haunted with images of broken tombstones with blood running in rivulets down the cracks. There was a flash of green and then the image of a statue of a hooded specter not that different from a dementor. The statue creaked and moaned, finally letting out a resounding crack. Blood dribbled down the statue dementor’s hidden face as if the stone figure were weeping blood. The name at the bottom of the gravestone was riddled with cracks so that only two letters showed. _CD_. The images shifted and Tevelle rose into a lighter trance. By the time she woke all she remembered of the strange ominous dream was a wash of blood and the initials _CD_.

            Tevelle considered briefly what they could mean but found nothing of value within the disturbing image. Resolving to ponder it at a later date when it might become clear, Tevelle put the image out of her mind.

            When she got down to breakfast practically everyone else was already up which partially surprised Tevelle since she had not slept in any later than usual.

            Xeven was already up as well, which surprised her even more.

            “ _Why aren’t you asleep?_ ” She asked him silently.

            “ _I wished to break my fast with you. In any case, it would save you many awkward questions if I kept up the pretense of humanity, at least during my stay, and most everyone are still under the misconception that I am human.”_ He explained patiently. “ _Come, dine with me,”_ he added as an afterthought.

            “ _Alright, I assume you already have my goblet of blood up there with you?”_

_“Of course.”_

Tevelle walked leisurely up to the staff table and sat down next to her ‘father’ in the only seat available which just happened to be Dumbledore’s. This earned her a lot of strange looks, which both she and Xeven studiously ignored. Professor McGonagall _tsked_ at her reprovingly but soon turned her attention elsewhere after a few quiet words from Xeven. None of the other teachers bothered them after that.            

            “It feels strange sitting at the staff table…”

            “Do not worry, the Headmaster will not mind, he and I go slightly far back.” Xeven assured her, off-handedly as if Dumbledore’s opinion was of no consequence in the matter.

            “Um… how far back exactly?”

            “Only a century, give or take.” He said aloud before continuing silently mind to mind, “ _It is not very long for vampire kind, mind you, but for humans that is the majority of their expected lifetime.”_

            “Oh,” Tevelle was surprised at the long time. Despite being a vampire, that was still longer than she had been alive, and then undead.

            “So, how’s everything at home?”  
            “The same as usual. Your brother Tanas was quite angry at me for not allowing him to come and see the tournament, but I assumed you did not need the added distraction in addition to your work. Aria, Robert, Elyie, and the others were also disgruntled, but not nearly as upset.”

            Tevelle laughed at the thought of the _entire_ Coven coming along with Xeven to visit her. One vampire was enough to send the teachers over the edge, two was courting disaster. Having an entire Coven come, fifteen vampires total, was suicide. She was especially amused by the idea of Tanas coming. The huge, brown-blond, bear-like man probably would have turned the entire castle on its head with his pranks. _He would probably get away with it too, charming as he is,_ Tevelle added in her thoughts dryly.

            “ _I am glad you find it so amusing,_ ” Xeven projected into her mind, smiling slightly over his goblet of blood.

            “I have a toast,” Tevelle added on the spur of the moment, “To our family.” she paused as Xeven raised his glass seriously before continuing, “and thank any gods there are that they are not here with us.”

            Xeven chuckled loudly, the sound echoing in the hall, causing everyone in the hall to start with surprise. Tevelle was no less startled by her Mentor’s very uncharacteristic reaction.

            “Father, are you okay?”

            “Yes, I am just relieved you are content here,” he added onto this statement silently, “ _and that you are safe.”_

_“Why would I not be safe?”_

_“We have been experiencing a few troubles with dark wizards who are more forward than they should be.”_

_“But you said everything is normal at the Coven.”_

_“Oh, none of the darklings,”_ Tevelle was confused by his use of the archaic word for dark wizards for a second, but then decided that with a vampire who has so much history, it was only natural for him to have a few lapses in language. Tevelle was surprised he did not start speaking in Latin more. “ _None of the darklings are brave nor foolish enough to begin approaching vampires yet, but they have been causing some problems in the area of land and villages that fall under my protection; the dragon preserve, Battalon, Wolfsfang, and several muggle villages.”_ Xeven finished.

            “ _Oh,”_

_“I could not determine through normal means if the situation had reached here. I also wished to see the Tournament.”_

_“Aww, I didn’t know you cared.”_ Tevelle teased him, slightly worried by the news and trying to hide it.

            Xeven picked up on her worry and answered in a serious tone. “ _Of course I care. You are not yet capable of looking after yourself and I have not the time to go looking for another apprentice.”_

            “Oh. Well, I feel loved. Thank you very much.” Tevelle growled, not feeling at all the disgruntlement she expressed in her words and tone.

            “Good,” was Xeven’s answer; he fully understood how she felt and was not worried that he might have affronted his apprentice. “ _Drink your blood,_ ” he ordered silently and Tevelle rolled her eyes in exasperation.

            “Well, if you’re so worried about me I can always come back home.”

            “Nice try, little bat, but that is not going to happen.”

            Grumbling, Tevelle reached for a roll. She was careful not to get any crumbs on the plate in front of her just in case Dumbledore showed up and wanted his seat.

            “You need to eat something other than bread, Tevelle. You’re a predator, here, eat some bacon.” Xeven pushed his plate towards her in a fatherly manner and raised one eyebrow reprovingly when she refused it.

            “I have one more day until I eat my meat for the week. You know I only eat it on Mondays, that’s tomorrow. Stop trying to make me change my ways and dishonor the animals who gave their lives.”

            “Is it not more dishonorable to refuse their meat once it is offered?”

            Tevelle just shook her head; it was an old argument and she was unwilling to yield no matter how logical Xeven’s reasoning was. It felt wrong for her to eat more meat than her body needed.

            Xeven held out the bacon a few moments more, hoping she would take it, but soon gave up and swallowed it himself. He reached for another roll and smeared jam on it.

            “At least have something on your bread if you won’t have anything else.” Xeven said as he handed her the jellied roll.

            “Yes, Father. I was going to eat other things.” Tevelle groused. “ _You’re having fun with this playacting, aren’t you.”_ She accused so no one but the other vampire could hear.

            “ _Hmmm?”_ Xeven responded innocently, grinning pleasantly at her over his goblet. Tevelle scowled and pushed him not so lightly on the arm, but got no reaction from the older vampire.

            “Well, I’m leaving before Professor Dumbledore yells at me for sitting in his place, and at the staff table no less.” Tevelle announced after a few moments of comfortable silence.

            “It’s to late for that.” Xeven’s voice was flat, allowing no emotion to show on his face.

            “What do you mean by that?”

            “Precisely what he said, if I remember my old friend correctly,” came a soft, amused voice form behind her. How had she not noticed someone approaching?

            “ _He has his own secrets, he is a very powerful wizard.”_ Xeven’s cultured voice ran through her head in explanation.

            Tevelle jumped up out of her chair and turned to face Dumbledore. The venerable old wizard’s blue eyes twinkled merrily at her, but his face was stern.

            “Sir! I’m sorry. Xeven told me to sit with him and this was the only seat. He said you wouldn’t mind and he didn’t give me any choice. Xeven even had my blood already and everything. It’s all his fault!” Tevelle babbled, her mouth moving so fast her words were probably unintelligible. She kept her voice down, however, so that none of the students would be able to make out what she was saying exactly. “I’m so sorry, Sir, I-”

            “Tevelle,” Xeven interrupted her, bringing her torrent of words to a stop. “Speak slower and calm down.”

            Breathing deeply, Tevelle began again. “Sorry, Sir. Xeven made me do it.”

            “ _Very mature,_ ” was the older vampire’s dry remark in her mind.

            “ _I know, isn’t it?”_

“I must admit, old friend, I am responsible. I truly did not give her much of a choice and I assumed you would not mind if she sat in your chair. I should not have assumed.” Xeven bowed his head apologetically, but remained seated.

            “It is quite alright for today, but if you wish to make a habit of it, please let me know so I may take my time coming down to breakfast,” Dumbledore said.

            “As you wish,” was Xeven’s reply.

            “Am I in trouble?” Tevelle asked tentatively, wincing slightly when both vampire and wizard looked her way at once.

            “Why would you be in trouble?” Xeven asked politely.

            “Because,” Tevelle continued, unsure of what he was trying to do, “I was in the Professor’s seat, even though you made me sit there.”

            “Hmmm, you are correct.” Xeven said.

            “ _Are you teasing me?_ ” Tevelle demanded silently. Xeven’s complete silence was enough and she relaxed.

            “Goodbye, oh, and the rolls are excellent.” She said aloud before dashing out of the hall.


	8. Blood Lust

Class the next few days was boring. Tevelle found herself taking naps in all of her classes, even Potions. Snape, of course, was very displeased by this and she attended detention practically every night. Still, for some reason, though she was no doubt the worst student in his class as far as paying attention was concerned, Harry Potter still received the majority of his ire. It was a slim difference, true, but still the majority. She had to wonder what personal vendetta they had against each other. Detention for her was not a problem; she didn’t sleep much at night anyway. The real problem was the mountain of homework Snape and other professors heaped on her for sleeping in class. If Xeven were not present Tevelle would have seriously considered just forgetting about the extra work. She did not want to be there anyway so why do more work than needed? She could do most of this the vampire way anyhow. Why learn it the wizard way?

            Xeven, unfortunately, was there and he would know if she shirked and would _not_ be happy. No, not happy at all. He could not do anything about the sleeping, as he knew she was trying her hardest to stay awake for the lessons she did not already know. Still, Xeven angry was not a pretty sight and Tevelle would rather remain on his good side, even if that meant putting extra, unnecessary effort into schoolwork.

            Tevelle put the finishing touches on the Potions essay Snape had assigned her, just in time too. Her next class was Potions and Snape was expecting all of her additional work to be complete or he could grade none of it.

            She made her way down to the dungeons. Hopefully the monotony of the class, homework, detention, class cycle would break soon. When she arrived outside the dungeon door there was already a slight crowd of students waiting to be admitted.

            She got closer and noticed that all of the Slytherins had badges resembling the S.P.E.W badge she herself wore. It only took her a moment, however, to notice the message each bore in bright red letters.

            “ _Support Cedric Diggory- The REAL Hogwarts Champion!_ ”

            Tevelle grimaced. There was no such thing as a single _real_ champion. Each had been chosen regardless of skill. Tevelle approached just as Harry Potter himself did.

            “Like them, Potter?” Malfoy loudly taunted, “And this isn’t all they do- look!” With a little pressure the red letters were replaced by a glowing green message. “ _Potter Stinks_ ”

            “How very mature,” Tevelle said, but her sarcastic comment was lost amid the Slytherin’s roaring laughter.

            Apparently Hermione felt the same, “Oh, very funny,” she said, “really _witty_.”

            “Want one, Granger?” said Malfoy, holding out a badge, “I’ve got loads. But don’t touch my hand, now. I’ve just washed it you see, don’t want a Mudblood sliming it up.”

            That was the last straw for Harry. Tevelle had been sensing his building anger as well as his attempts to dam it up inside him for days. With that, the dam cracked and broke, spilling out his anger in a gushing torrent.

            Despite the blood she had just drunk, her inner beast was irritable and this tidal wave of emotion, even if it was not hers, was nearly enough to send her on a killing spree. Her beast raged and pleaded, cajoling her to let it take control. There was so much powerful young wizard blood around. So sweet it would be. With each heartbeat of those around her, Tevelle was carried closer to the killing edge. If she fell over the side of the precipice, Tevelle would lose all control to the beast and the blood thirst that resided inside her. Her fangs elongated, making her jaw ache, and her eyes watered with the suddenly bright light. Intense thirst burned her throat with a need that water could not quench.

            Distantly she was aware of Harry drawing his wand and the small crowd scrambling out of the way. Several students jostled her, and for some reason, other than provoking her inner beast more, the small impact was enough to jar her back to her senses. Tevelle pulled back her rampaging beast. She had kept back from the killing edge that would have sent her into a feeding frenzy, barely.

            Malfoy stood opposite Harry with his wand ready, shouting taunts. Both Malfoy and Harry remained oblivious to the fact that Tevelle still stood, unmoving between the two. If the two duelists decided to begin shooting hexes, she would be undoubtedly caught in the crossfire. Tevelle, though, could not move to safety. Her vampiric self still raged inside her, clamoring to be let out. The energy used to move needed to be devoted to containing her inner monster. If she focused on anything but her silent struggle, blood lust would take control. Hopefully, as a vampire, she would repel all of the lesser curses. If one of them tried anything fancy, however, she might be in trouble.

            Whether by luck or the duelists’ lack of skill, the two spells Malfoy and Harry cast bounced off of Tevelle harmlessly and off in another direction. Tevelle noticed only in passing, still focused on restraining her vampiric self. It was lucky as a more powerful spell might send her to the killing edge once again. Several people screamed as the spells ricocheted, but none of the spectators along the sides were hurt. It was different for those standing next to the two boys. Goyle and Hermione were struck by the reflected spells. Tevelle’s vampire side was distracted by the amusing sight. Goyle’s nose was now covered in boils; the grotesque sight was enough to make the vampire’s blood lust subside and she found herself laughing at the sight. She only laughed harder, though she tried not to, when she saw Hermione’s growing teeth.

            “And what is all this noise about?” said a soft, deadly voice. Snape’s entrance was not enough to quiet Tevelle’s mirth. All of the energy that had been focused on her need for blood and restraining her inner beast had been channeled into her laughter. It was difficult to stop once she had committed so much to the action as she continued to laugh nearly hysterically even though it was not exactly appropriate.

            “Explain,” Snape ordered Malfoy.

            “Potter attacked me, sir-”

            “We attacked each other at the same time!” Harry shouted.

            “-And he hit Goyle-look-”

            Snape inspected Goyle and ordered the boy to the hospital wing.

            “Malfoy got Hermione!” Ron said. “ _Look!_ ”

            Ron forced Hermione to show Snape her rapidly lengthening teeth.

            Snape looked at her coolly then said, “I see no difference.”

            Hermione whimpered, turned, and ran all the way down the corridor and out of sight.

            Tevelle frowned. That was no way to treat someone. Her laughter died and she glared at Snape angrily. She caught his gaze and held it until he broke eye contact. Whether it was from fear or the distraction of Ron and Harry yelling at him, Tevelle could not tell for sure.

            “Let’s see. Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. And Miss Nightshade,” he added when she growled irritably. “Now get inside, or it’ll be a weeks worth of detentions.”

            Tevelle stormed inside. She already had detention for Snape and odds were he would most likely schedule this new one so the detention she already had would be twice as long. She made her way irately to the front of the classroom. Snape would have to deal with her glaring a hole through his head the entire class and a vampire’s direct stare could be very unnerving. Tevelle sat and pulled out her materials, not once looking at what her hands were doing but staying focused on Snape.

            “Antidotes!” The professor snapped and Tevelle could taste the waver in his voice that showed his discomfort. “You should have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…” Snape’s eyes drifted to the back of the classroom and, Tevelle assumed, to Harry Potter, but, alas, it was not to be.

             A knock sounded on the dungeon door and a boy Tevelle recognized dimly as Colin Creevey edged into the room and walked up to Snape’s desk.

            “Yes?”

            “Please, sir, I’m supposed to take Harry Potter up stairs.”

            “Potter has another hour of Potions to complete. He will come upstairs when this class is finished.”

            Colin explained further; it was required of all the champions by Mr. Bagman and that Harry would have to take his things with him.

            Snape finally relented. “Very well! Potter- take your bag and get out of my sight.”

            Harry practically dashed form the room as the door closed shut behind him. Snape’s gaze drifted to Tevelle. He planned to use her as a test subject since his first victim was denied him. Tevelle locked gazes. _The poison will have no effect on me,_ Tevelle thought at him knowing he would not be able to hear, _and you would call yourself a potions expert._

            Tevelle got to work on her antidote. She had never really needed to brew one so she was working on her memories of her human life when these types of potions still mattered. After a lot of work, she thought she had a good recipe, but some of the ingredients she used were unorthodox. Still, the color the potion had turned when she added the mandrake was very close to what she thought ideal. After adding a few more herbs and magical ingredients, the cauldron before her was full of a simmering emerald green liquid. Snape scowled at her as he passed, but did not comment. Tevelle merely scowled back as she ladled the finished potion into a flask.

            “The detention you have already tomorrow will be extended,” Snape informed her.           

            “Why not today?” Tevelle asked, curious. True detention would be longer, but it was generous considering she did not really sleep anyway and this actually gave her more free time.

            “Your father, Xeven, has informed me you have other plans tonight that would conflict with your detention.” Snape bit out.

            Tevelle was surprised. Usually Xeven would say that she needed to learn more control and that missing out on something fun was as good a way to learn as any. Then she began to wonder what he had planned. He certainly hadn’t told her about these plans.

            _What could it be?_ Why this night? As far as she knew up until the first task, whatever that was, Tevelle’s life was going to be rather boring. Now this new event that Xeven had contrived. Once again she wondered what her mentor intended.

            The class ended, thankfully with no time to spare for poisoning someone. Tevelle did not want to have to explain why the poison Snape would undoubtedly give her did not affect her. Tevelle made her way, semi-anxiously, to dinner. What Xeven had planned would be after the meal and her regular goblet of blood. As she walked to her usual seat, Tevelle scanned the Staff table for any sign that her mentor was present. She wasn’t disappointed.

            “ _Xeven,”_ she asked him silently as she sat down and reached for her goblet, “ _what is it you had planned for tonight?_ ”

            “ _How did you know about that?”_ Xeven responded, though outwardly he appeared to be having a very in depth conversation with Dumbledore.

            “ _Snape….”_ Tevelle started only to be interrupted by Xeven.

            “Professor _Snape. Respect your elders and address them properly, little bat.”_

_“But I’m older than him by at least a decade!”_

_“That may be true when you are outside this school, but here you are human and_ Professor _Snape is your elder.”_

_“Fine, well anyway, he gave me double detention tonight on account that you apparently ‘had something planned’ for tonight.”_

_“That is true,”_ Xeven took a sip from his own goblet, not quite looking at Tevelle.

            _“Care to enlighten me, oh generous overlord of the night?”_

_“The flattery is appreciated, but it will get you nowhere.”_

_“And that isn’t an answer.”_ Tevelle smirked, no doubt startling the first year next to her.

            _“Perhaps not, but either way the result is the same.”_

_“How is the result the same? I don’t know anything?”_

_“Exactly.”_

_“Exactly! What do you mean by that?”_

_“One not knowing is the purpose of a surprise, is it not?”_

_“So it’s a surprise?”_

            _“Yes.”_

_“Then why didn’t you just say so?”_

_“That would have ruined all the fun then. Would it not?”_

She scowled at Xeven who grinned politely in return before going back to his conversation with the Headmaster.

            _“Argh!_ ” She growled at him silently, stabbing her potatoes with more zeal than she needed to.

            “Is something wrong?” Malfoy asked from across the table. His infuriatingly smooth voice grated at her nerves. Tevelle’s vampire side licked her lips in contemplation before she caught herself. It would not be good to encourage such thoughts. Tevelle might end up seriously considering putting them into action.

            “What?” She asked him, noticing for the first time he was waiting for an answer.

            “You seem angry.”

            “ _Reeeally,_ ” Tevelle responded, drawing out the word making it drip with sarcasm.

            “Usually people don’t mutilate their potatoes.” He raised a blond eyebrow.

            Tevelle briefly looked around for the vanguard that more often than not accompanied Malfoy, but neither Crabbe nor Goyle, nor any of the other brain-dead ducklings that usually followed the silver-blond haired Slytherin were present. Tevelle could only assume that they needed all the time after dinner to complete their homework so that they passed. That obviously left no time to loiter about the Great Hall.

            “Maybe I wanted mashed potatoes.” She quipped. Tevelle took an over exaggerated bite to make her point.

            “Then it might help to finish mashing them before you eat them.” Malfoy told her.

            Tevelle looked down at her only partially mashed potatoes in dismay.

            “ _Touché”_ She smirked before draining the rest of her goblet quickly and jumping up out of her seat.

            “Wa- What? We weren’t finished talking!” Malfoy said in dismay as Tevelle walked away. His voice was quiet, as if he was speaking to himself, but Tevelle, even from halfway across the hall, could hear him clearly.

            “Uh, yeah we are!” She called back to him before striding out of the Great Hall. Tevelle chuckled as she felt Malfoy’s disconcertment at her abrupt departure.

            “ _What is it that amuses you so?”_ Xeven said into her mind.

            Tevelle looked around for him and saw him at the far end of the entrance hall, waiting by the great double doors that lead out to the school grounds.

            _“Draco Malfoy.”_

_“What about him?”_

_“His face…”_ Tevelle elaborated “ _And the fact that he thinks everything revolves around him.”_

 _“There are a few others like that I could name.”_ Xeven remarked.

            “ _Speaking of yourself?”_ Tevelle smiled at her mentor.

            “ _Guess again.”_

_“Weeell, I don’t know… I can’t think of anyone else who might fit that description.”_

_“Try… Brown hair, short, and school age.”_

_“That could describe a lot of people.”_

_“Then add vampire to that list.”_

_“Ummm,”_ Tevelle made a big show of thinking, though she already knew whom he meant, “ _still don’t know who you’re talking about.”_

Xeven shook his head. He knew full well that Tevelle understood what he was saying.

            “So,” Tevelle said aloud, “What’s this surprise you pulled me out of detention for?”

            “You will see. And I believe you will like it.”

            “Really,” Tevelle said slowly, “Well it’s not like I have much choice do I?”

            “No.”

            “Thought so.”

            “The correct phrase is ‘I thought so’. Speak in complete sentences.”

            Tevelle rolled her eyes. Xeven was always correcting her speech, not that she ever paid him enough mind for the lesson in grammar to sink in.

“Yes, oh mighty overlord of the night” She teased, retrieving a low growl in return.

            A blast of icy wind whipped at their clothes as Xeven pulled one of the massive doors open wide enough to let them through. Tevelle’s smile widened as she took in the lovely cold, clear night before her. The waxing moon shone a bright silvery light on the dark grounds, and stars stood out like crystals against the cloudless sky. Tevelle breathed deeply, the scent of the darker places in the Forbidden Forest tantalizing her nose. Perhaps they were going to visit those parts, where the great arachnid Aragog and his family spun their webs. It had been a long time since she last saw the spider, how much he must have grown by now.

            “Come,” Xeven said, stepping out into the chill night and Tevelle gladly followed.


	9. Scale and Flame

The darkness was abrupt as they walked underneath the nearly leafless branches of the first line of trees that marked the beginning of the Forbidden Forest. The scant moonlight that did filter through the thick upper branches was ample illumination for the two vampires to see.

"Where we going?"

"Where  _are_  we going," Xeven corrected.

""Whatever, you know what I mean, now answer the question."

"Elsewhere."

"Xeven!"

"I have already told you, it is a surprise. Now be an obedient vampire and be quiet. Perhaps if you stop asking I will take a shorter route." Xeven's voice was blithe, but his jaw had a serious set to it that Tevelle had learned indicated anger. Something was bothering Xeven and his frustration at Tevelle's pestering had been the last straw in whatever had been keeping Xeven's anger in check. Xeven's anger as long as Tevelle had known him had never become hot or violent, but rather it was a chilling calm anger like winter's ice that in Tevelle's opinion was more frightening than Xeven throwing things. Now that cold anger seeped out and radiated off of Xeven causing the air immediately around him to drop several degrees. She could tell though, that this anger was not directed at her.

"I thought you said I would enjoy this."

"You will."

"Then why are you angry?"

"It has nothing to do with you."

"Maybe I can help."

"Very well," Xeven conceded, "I will tell you when we reach our destination, you will understand then."

They walked the remaining distance in silence. The trees mimicked them in their silence, giving the feeling of waiting to the dark forest.

Suddenly a roar pierced the relative calm of the forest and Tevelle shot forward like an arrow from a bow. She knew that roar. Another roar rang out into the night. "Where is my vampire!" The roar formed words unintelligible to any human ears.

Xeven easily caught up to her and together they ran towards the roar with a speed no ordinary creature would be able to maintain. As they reached a clearing, Tevelle's smile turned to a frown and the source of the elder vampire's displeasure became apparent.

Fenced in at the center of the open space were four dragons. Tevelle recognized the four as nesting mothers that lived in Xeven's dragon reserve in Romania. The four great winged reptiles beat their wings against the air in protest at being confined to such a small space unable to fly.

Tevelle rushed over to the pen and leapt over the fence into the enclosure. A hum emanated from the dragons in greeting and she felt a smile grow on her lips.

"W _hy are they penned up in such a small space?"_  She asked Xeven.

Judging by the grumbling tone of his reply in her head, she knew this was the problem he had been gnawing on during their walk in the forest.

" _The humans, more especially the judges, are worried about the champions finding out about their task with enough time to fully prepare. They fear that were the dragons to have the run of the forest they would either go wild or reveal themselves. The fools do not listen when I tell them the dragons would know not to do any such thing. Despite the evidence humans still see them as beasts."_

Tevelle remained silent as she greeted each dragon in her preferred way in turn. The Swedish Shortsnout received an affection pat, the Chinese Fireball a tickle under the chin, the Welsh Green a tug on a wingtip, and the Hungarian Horntail a hug round the neck.

"Where is my vampire, young one?" The Horntail rumbled in query once Tevelle had pulled back slightly.

"He's coming, be patient." She responded aloud, laughing inwardly at the possessiveness in the dragon's tone.

Dragons did not have names in the sense that humans, vampires, goblins, centaurs, and other creatures did, instead they referred to others as either theirs or not theirs. The vast majority of the dragons on Xeven's reserve considered Xeven and his coven "theirs", through only a handful referred to Xeven as theirs on a more personal level. These dragons were the leaders of their families or colonies, though a few were young hatchlings that Xeven had helped raise. Only two dragons had claimed Tevelle personally as their own and each were newly hatched.

"Come, my vampire!" The Horntail demanded, absentmindedly snaking her tail around her clutch of eggs. Xeven appeared only seconds after the dragon's summons.

"My Lady? You called?" He said, a rare affectionate note creeping into his normally very carefully controlled voice. He touched his head to the tip of her snout as a parent dragon might greet their hatchling. Tevelle was not surprised, all of the dragons who had been born on the reserve knew Xeven from hatching, and as Xeven didn't age, he had been an unchanging figure present though their lives. Those without living parents often considered Xeven their sire, and Tevelle couldn't blame them.

"My wings ache; there is not enough room to stretch them here. Could you ask the humans if we could fly? All four of us know the need for secrecy here, we will not be seen." The mother dragon's tone was that of a plaintive child.

"I will speak with them. I too chafe at the restrictions placed by the humans." Xeven answered before calling to the nearest human. "Charlie!"

A tall gangly red-haired young man made his way over to the fence. He had been in the process of unloading supplies, but at Xeven's summons he dropped what he had been carrying and made his way over.

"Tevelle!" Charlie's arms wrapped around her in a bear hug. Tevelle was not short, but the red-haired human stood easily at least a head taller than her. The vampire poked him gently in the side to prompt him to release her.

"Hey! That hurts!" Charlie pulled back, clutching at his side dramatically. "Just because you have superhuman strength of a vampire doesn't mean you should use it! Especially on a lowly human like me," Charlie lamented, though he was having difficulty containing his laughter.

Tevelle scowled. "I wasn't, weakling," Her expression immediately cleared. "It's great to see you. Why are you here?"

"The first task of the Triwizard. This is the first task. The champions have to get a golden egg, but you didn't hear it from me."

"Charlie, I have a concern," Xeven interrupted and the red-haired human turned his full attention on the elder vampire, "The dragons require more room to fly. I realize the ministry does not wish them to be seen for several reasons, but the dragons are capable of being discreet and are willing to fly only by night."

"I already asked, but I'll ask again; I think their answer will be the same though."

"Then inform them that either myself or Tevelle would be willing to fly with them to remind the dragons on their need to be inconspicuous." Xeven added, his tone calm but firm.

"I'll take care of it right away. Nice to see you again, Tevelle." Charlie said as he walked purposefully away.

Tevelle watched him go for a few seconds before turning back to Xeven. "You mean it? I can go fly with the dragons while I'm here?"

"Yes, and the thestrals, though I'm sure you already promised you would go flying with them."

A sheepish smile crossed Tevelle's face. "You know me too well."

"Perhaps," was Xeven's dry answer, "Though do refrain from flying out of the country as I know you will want to do. If for some reason the thestrals do not bring you back in time for breakfast, it will be suspicious, and we would be forced to come up with a plausible reason for why a student disappeared from the castle without setting off the wards. Of course it will be your responsibility to think up a plausible excuse for your absence.

"I'll just blame you." She smirked.

"And I will deny any knowledge of it," countered Xeven. "Who do you think will be believed?"

Tevelle's mind worked for a second, trying to come up with a good response, unable to, she simply sighed, "Fine you win. I'll stay in the country."

"Of course." Xeven didn't smile but he came as close to it as was possible without actually smiling.

"Vampire!" The Horntail demanded their attention now that the matter she had been concerned about had been remedied.

"Yes?" Xeven said to show he was listening. Tevelle smiled as well.

The dragon shifted her large wings to uncover the clutch of eggs she protected. "What thing you, my vampire, of my eggs?"

A rare smile crossed Xeven's face. No doubt he had been waiting for the mother dragon's permission to admire her eggs. Among dragon-kind it was often considered rude to look at or speak of another dragon's eggs until the mother demanded an opinion. Now that this mother had granted her permission, Xeven stepped forward and ran a hand gently over the smooth, mottled shell of the foremost egg.

"A fine brood," he remarked as he inspected each domed shell for cracks or imperfections, " a fine brood indeed. You should be proud."

The horntail hummed her pleasure at the praise.

"Now," Xeven continued in a business-like tone, "stretch out your wings. I must be sure nothing was damaged during travel."

Once Xeven was satisfied nothing was wrong, he moved onto the other dragons. In the same manner he inspected first the eggs and then the mother for any damage or injuries. Tevelle hung back. None of the dragons quite trusted her enough to go near their eggs. She did not mind. In their eyes she was still a child and even though many other vampires knew she was older than she appeared they too still thought of her as a child, and it took no stretch of the imagination to know that others did as well.

"Tevelle," Xeven said once he was finished, "Go fetch Charlie. Tell him I want a complete inventory of all supplies he and the others brought with them, including any food, treats, bedding, or nesting material. Also, tell him to feed the dragons before they feel the need to hunt for themselves. I highly doubt the Centaurs would appreciate it if four dragons consumed all of their game."

Tevelle rushed to do as she was bid. Perhaps if all of this official business were out of the way Xeven would let her get in a quick flight with one of the dragons or a thestral before dawn.

Apparently, luck was not with her tonight. When she returned to Xeven from her errand he ushered her back to the castle saying, "Dawn is nearly here. We must hurry back."

With that they set off through the forest at a brisk run.

"Wouldn't it be faster to catch a ride on a dragon or a thestral?" Tevelle asked as they ran.

"We would risk being seen. Unless you would like to explain what you were doing out of bounds after curfew and after the headmaster asked specifically for you to confine your wanderings to the castle?"

"Now that you put it that way…" Tevelle trailed off as they entered the castle. They slowed to a quick walk and stopped outside the Slytherin dormitory.

"You still owe me Bloodvelvet cake by the way." She reminded her mentor.

"I have not forgotten, little bat."

"Good." With that, Tevelle left Xeven and made her way up to her room to prepare for the day.

The next few nights Tevelle spent in the forest with the dragons. The officials for the Triwizard tournament had acquiesced to Xeven's request, though not without considerable coercion on the elder vampire's part and several conditions. Only one dragon was to be allowed to fly at a time and only within the skies over the Forbidden Forest. The flights were also limited to only two hours at the longest and the presence of a vampire during their flight was non-negotiable. Tevelle did not mind, as she was the vampire who would get to fly. The dragons trusted no one but Xeven to watch over their eggs while they were gone. Even though Tevelle got very little rest and had to complete all her homework in the scant few hours of free time she had a day, she enjoyed this arrangement. Still, the three days before the Tournament passed too quick for her liking. The day of the Tournament she made her way down to the stadium early in the event Xeven and the keepers needed one more hand to help get the first challenge set up properly.

When she arrived she could hear Xeven arguing with Crouch. Xeven's voice was dangerously cold, seemingly calm to Crouch's hot anger. Tevelle neared, careful to stay unseen. Xeven arguing was a rare sight, one she intended to relish. A small part of her pitied the Ministry official, but only a small part. Xeven's anger might be harsh and cruel, but never was it undeserved.

"The golden egg  _will not_  be hidden among the real ones!"

"The dragons will not protect the golden egg otherwise ruining the entire Task!" Crouch argued.

"If you use the real eggs in this Task, you will  _not_  have any dragons for the champions to get past. I will take them back to the reserve." Xeven growled.

"You cannot do that!" Crouch yelled, " The Ministry requires the dragons for the Tournament!"

"The Ministry has no authority over me," Xeven's voice was thick with cold rage. Tevelle could tell he was nearly on the verge of lashing out at Crouch. She couldn't blame him. She too was horrified by what the human was asking. The real eggs could be damaged or completely destroyed effectively killing the baby dragons within. It was horrible to even contemplate being responsible for such a thing, no doubt including those innocents who would be killed when the mother dragon went on a rampage, blinded by anger and pain. Tevelle emerged from her hiding place, feeling it was time to intervene.

"Perhaps we can reach a compromise," She said, careful to keep her voice even and at the same time hold back her inner beast from reacting the way Xeven wished to. If she succumbed to that side of her she held not the restraint of her mentor and would probably kill the human.

"Xeven and I can replace the real eggs with replicas and explain to the dragons the situation and that they must protect the golden egg and the other fake eggs as if they were their own. Xeven can watch the real eggs until the dragons can reclaim them." Tevelle finished in a rush. Xeven had calmed and regained his composure as she explained her idea and now studied Crouch with an expectant stare. Tevelle took her place beside her mentor and leveled her own gaze on the still livid human.

"How do you expect to explain it to the dragons. The beast would not understand," he spluttered.

Tevelle gritted her teeth, the beast inside _her_ stirring to wakefulness at her anger.

" _Calm yourself_ ," Xeven ordered silently. Aloud he said, "It is either you do as my apprentice has suggested or you remain without a Task and a great many expectant spectators who will be quite discontent with this turn of events."

Reluctantly, Crouch nodded his agreement. "I will inform the other judges of this decision."

" _Well done, little bat,"_  Xeven praised Tevelle silently as they watched Bartemous Crouch's retreating back.

" _I hope you don't mind that I was eavesdropping on you and Crouch."_

" _It is only eavesdropping when the person does not know of your presence. As it stands, you were only eavesdropping on Bartemous."_

" _You knew I was there?"_

" _Do not look so surprised. I may be old, but I am neither blind nor deaf. You need much more practice and stealth if you wish to sneak up on me."_

" _I wasn't even trying!"_ Tevelle rebuked silently.

" _I am aware of this."_

Tevelle rolled her eyes at Xeven's infuriating calm. If one had not been there, they would not even guess that the ancient vampire had been in such a temper.

"Now," Xeven continued aloud, "go find a seat before all of the good ones are taken.

"Sure you don't need any help?"

" 'Do not' is the correct way to say it."

"Fine. Are you sure you do not need any help?"

"Quite sure."

"Alright then," Tevelle gave Xeven a quick hug before ambling off to find a seat.

The spot she chose was close to the front where she could easily see, but out of the way so that no one would sit next to her unless it was intentional. Hopefully, no one would feel the need to sit by her; she preferred to be alone and unbothered by loud, unnecessary cheering right in her ear. She was disappointed.

"You are difficult to find. Why are you sitting all the way over here?"  
"I was hoping you and your cronies wouldn't see me, Malfoy."

"Why would that be?" The blond sat arrogantly down next to Tevelle and she found it difficult not to hurt him. She was not in the mood to deal with him and his constant snide comments on the Champions. "We Slytherins have to stick together," Malfoy continued.

"Go away, those seats are taken."

"By who?"

"My invisible friend Bob, now he will be very angry if he finds you in his seat, so skedaddle." Tevelle glared at him and made a shooing motion with her hands.

Malfoy merely snickered, settling deeper into the seat. Crabbe and Goyle laughed dimly and took placed directly behind them.

"You are very funny, Tevelle." Malfoy told her, smiling.

"Oh really?" Tevelle bared her fangs in a parody of a smile, forcing a laugh. "Seriously, though. Go away."

"Why? No one else will need these seats."

"You're annoying me. I don't know how much clearer I can be."

Malfoy merely formed his lips into a smug half-smile and turned his attention pointedly towards the arena, purposefully ignoring Tevelle.

Sighing, Tevelle realized that it would take more effort than it was worth to make Malfoy move. She settled for ignoring him and his friends completely. As long as he remained silent she could pretend he wasn't there.

The rest of the crowd arrived, filling up the remainder of the stands. The stench of excitement and expectation roiled off the crowd making Tevelle crinkle her nose in distaste. After a few moments the steady roar of nervous chatter from the assembly was silenced and Ludo Bagman explained the rules of the Task to the spectators.

Cedric was the first to come out into the arena and face his dragon. He preformed a nice little trick, transfiguring a rock into a large dog. It would have worked perfectly had the dragon not changed her mind while going after the dog and charged Cedric instead. The first champion to face his Task was still successful and managed to snatch the golden egg. The dragon roared her protest at being bested, but as she knew the egg was not hers, her anger quickly dissipated and she followed Xeven out of the arena as he carried her eggs.

"How can he do that without getting mauled?" Malfoy turned to her, astonishment in his eyes. His voice was difficult to discern beneath the cheering of the crowd.

"Who? My father?" Tevelle responded distractedly.

"Yes."

"He owns and manages the dragon preserve in Romania. He's worked with these dragons all of his life. They trust him." It was not exactly the truth, rather the reverse of it, but it was the same general idea.

"Oh," was all Malfoy said.

Tevelle shrugged and returned all her attention to the Tournament. It wasn't until later that Tevelle idly noticed that there had not been any trace of smug snideness in his words.

The rest of the Task went by quickly. Fleur's method of obtaining the egg did not stick in Tevelle's memory. She felt a mixture of anger and relief when Krum took his challenge; anger at the spell he cast on the dragon, relief that the eggs crushed were not real ones. She growled low in her throat when Karkaroff gave his student a perfect ten. Harry surprised her when he managed to grab his egg the fastest against the Horntail. Though flying on a broom was probably the best method. The Horntail was less agile in the air than say a Welsh Green or Chinese Fireball and especially a small broomstick ridden by a seeker. His trick might not have worked so well against one of the smaller dragons.

As soon as the Horntail left the arena Tevelle made her way down to the woods where she knew Xeven would be looking after the dragons. She did not see much point in waiting for Harry's results. She would find out soon enough.

"How's the Fireball doing?" Tevelle asked approaching Xeven where he tended the Chinese dragon's eye. They were back in the forest away from the spectators. The Fireball crooned, curling a tail protectively around her clutch of eggs, no doubt achingly grateful that the eggs she inadvertently crushed were not real.

"The damage done by the boy was primarily superficial, and nothing permanent. Still, it will take time and several strong potions to return her sight to normal before the dragons are sent back to the reserve." Xeven stroked the Chinese dragon's eye ridge and stepped back, running a hand distractedly through his hair.

"What ingredients do you need? I'm sure Professor Snape has them."

"Good idea. And no doubt he would not mind assisting me in brewing these potions. Some are rather complicated and only have a limited amount of time before they lose their potency. There would be complications if I were to brew all of them at once."

"I would help."

"You hardly have the skill. Only the most experienced of potion masters would be able to complete these to my satisfaction."

"You have high standards."

"Better that than complications arising from an improperly brewed potion."

Unable to find any good argument, she conceded that Xeven was right.

"Don't worry about the dragons, I will take care of them. Go head up to the castle. I know you have work to do." Her mentor said sternly. He left no room for dispute.


	10. Respite

It was not long after the first task that the dragons were on their way back to the Reserve. The potions brewed for the fireball by Snape and Xeven took effect quickly. Within days the dragon was healthy enough to travel and Charlie and the other wizards from the Reserve packed up everything and took off.

Tevelle found her nights oddly empty with the dragons gone, especially now that she did not exactly have permission to wander outside at night anymore. She knew Xeven would look the other way a few times as long as a teacher did not catch her, but neither Xeven nor the teachers would be pleased if it became a regular occurrence.

An ear-splitting wailing cut through the air and Tevelle winced. One of the champions had opened their golden egg again. For the other students the jarring sound was not a problem as long as they were not present in the same room. Stone walls and thick wooden doors did much to mute the sound to human ears.

To acute, vampire hearing however, walls and doors did little to muffle the cacophony. Tevelle hoped each champion would either figure out their egg or at least give up soon. The harsh sound was very good at inducing headaches and setting teeth on edge.

She breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the unknown champion shut their egg as she continued on towards Care of Magical Creatures. The sun was uncomfortably bright as she stepped outside and she hurriedly gulped down a small vial of the sun-adverse potion that would help her cope with the sun's burning rays. A hood helped shield her eyes and the bright world around her became manageable.

After the first task of the tournament the entire school was abuzz with talk about the champions and the events of the Task. Expectedly, much of it was gossip. A surprising amount of it involved Xeven. Well, perhaps after that unintentional stunt with the dragons Tevelle should not be as shocked as she was. She had to keep reminding herself that, while she knew very well that Xeven worked with dragons every day of his very long life, much of the school did not. Most of what was said though greatly annoyed Tevelle. Xeven just found it mildly amusing.

The walk down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest was short and before long she had arrived at class. Most of her classmates were already present so Tevelle tried her best to fade into the crowd. If one more starry-eyed girl asked her about Xeven, well, there would be bloodshed.

The group of students already present hung back more than usual. The breeze shifted and Tevelle caught a whiff of why. The scent of single-malt whisky drifting over form the paddock that housed Madame Maxime's horses was strong enough to make the humans around Tevelle light-headed. For her, the intensity of the smell that assaulted her sensitive nose was incentive enough to stop breathing. Silently she cursed the high-strung winged horses.

Once the entire class had assembled, Hagrid proceeded to explain their task for the day.

"I'm not sure if they hibernate or not," Hagrid was saying, "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip…we'll just settle em' down in these boxes…" He motioned towards the ten remaining skrewts and the blanket-lined boxes beside them.

As the class attempted to lead the skrewts into the boxes, it became apparent that the creatures did not, in fact, feel the desire to hibernate. Even Tevelle was having trouble with hers.

Before long the majority of the class gave up on the task and rushed towards Hagrid's cabin away from the angry skrewts. Tevelle considered standing her ground against the tide of students, but a familiar and unwelcome scent changed her mind. She soon found herself crammed inside the small cabin with her classmates. Only a handful of students remained outside with Hagrid.

The sound of blood pulsing through her classmates grew louder as they crowded about Tevelle. The vampire in her stirred, but she pushed the urge for blood ruthlessly back down. No longer comfortable, she left through the back door of the cabin and made her way back around to where the skrewts were to lend a hand.

"Well, well, well… this does look like fun." A voice she recognized said. Tevelle hung back just around the corner. It had been Rita Skeeter's scent that had caught her attention earlier.

Tevelle frowned. The woman came by the Reserve several times a year under the pretense of writing an article about the dragon Reserve and the good it was doing for the dragon population. In reality she just wanted an interview with a vampire, what she and the rest of the wizarding world viewed as a 'dark creature'. No doubt Rita had been warned not to reveal Tevelle's identity if she saw her, but there was no sense in risking it. Rita Skeeter was an unpredictable creature at best.

"Who're you?" Hagrid asked, his hands full with the skrewt before him.

"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter." Her smile was predatory.

"Though Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore."

Tevelle shook her head. She could already see where this was going. The moment Hagrid had acknowledged Rita's presence the reporter had already had her claws sunk in. There was no avoiding an article now, and Hagrid seemed completely unaware.

As she slunk around the back of Hagrid's hut, Tevelle pushed any guilt she felt for cutting the rest of class aside.

Rita was in full reporting mode. Warning or not, if she saw Tevelle now, somehow her name would find its way into the article. Most wizards would not recognize her name; she was a relatively newly fledged vampire after all. It was those few people that would recognize her name, however, who could cause the most damage. Tevelle was actually mildly surprised that none of the students recognized Xeven's name. It was a name that would definitely show up if one were to research vampires even casually. Either no one had made the connections because they assumed Dumbledore would never let a vampire into the castle, or the disjointed professors of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class had done a terrible job. True the information they would have taught would be completely incorrect, but one did not become one of the oldest and most powerful vampires without being recognized by the wizarding world, even if it was just as a monster.

These thoughts carried her all the way up to the castle.

"Are you not supposed to be in class?" A voice said from the shadowed entryway. Xeven stood from where he had been leaning against the cool stone wall.

"The class is about done anyway. And Rita Skeeter showed up, so I thought it would be better if I slipped away unnoticed." She explained.

A nod was all Tevelle got to show Xeven's approval of her reasoning.

"Well," Xeven continued, "Since you have some free time I have something for you."

"Really? What?"

"Come with me." Xeven lead her back into the castle and down the corridor and a few flights of stairs.

They stopped in front of a painting of fruit in a silver bowl. Xeven reached out with one long finger and tickled the center of the pair.

"What?" Tevelle asked. She had passed by this painting numerous times in her wanderings. Why would Xeven want to tickle it?

A door handle stretched out from the painting.

A soft "oh" escaped her. Never had it occurred to her that this painting was anything other than just that, a painting.

"Welcome to the kitchens." Xeven said, striding into the room beyond. House elves scurried everywhere, weaving between each other and tables with the ease of long practice. Pots and pans were taking down from the walls only to be replaced by one just like them. The smell of a vast array of cooking food and spices mixed and mingles creating odd scents, some pleasant, others not. Despite the crowded preparation space, none of the large tables in the center of the huge room had even a scrap on them. Most likely those tables were the method of conveying the finished meals to the Great Hall above.

Xeven reached down and lightly tapped the shoulder of a house elf who seemed to be unoccupied at the moment.

"Milly, could you perhaps fetch the cake I had prepared?" he asked politely.

"Of course, Sir!" Milly squeaked, her ears perking up at the thought of something to do.

"Cake?" Tevelle asked, "Does this mean I can have that blood-velvet cake you promised me?"

"Yes."

There was a slight tug on the sleeve of Tevelle's robe.

"Will you be needing a table to be set up, sir and missus?"

"No, thank you, simply a pair of dishes, forks, and a knife will be fine."

"Yes sir!" The little house elf ran off to fetch the items, not disrupting the flow of the other workers at all.

Within minutes Milly returned with a covered platter, the other house elf at her side with dishes and utensils.

"Thank you very much," Xeven said as he took the platter. Tevelle took the dishes, smiling her thanks as well. The two house elves bowed excitedly and rushed off to whatever else needed doing.

"Well," Xeven said once they had exited the kitchen, "Shall we go eat?"

Tevelle nodded eagerly. "There should be some room in the Great Hall to eat since dinner hasn't started yet."

"Very well, little bat, lead on." Xeven instructed with a slight bow of his head, a small smile conveying his amusement.

"Gladly."

By the time they reached the Great Hall, Tevelle's mouth was watering in anticipation. The delicious smell was becoming unbearable.

"Patience," Xeven told her silently. Humor colored the slight reprimand.

"Yes, sir."

The few students who were using the Hall to study before the evening meal looked at the two vampires strangely as they sat down at the end of the Slytherin table.

"How big of a piece would you like?" Xeven asked as he uncovered the platter, taking a knife in one hand.

Tevelle grinned, handing her mentor a plate. "Do you really have to ask?"

"I suppose not," Xeven teased, "You would undoubtedly claim the entire cake, and then what would I do?" He added silently, "I like blood-velvet cake as much as the next vampire you know."

Tevelle laughed. "Fine then, we'll split it down the middle."

"It is a small cake, but not that small. We will each have a quarter and decide from there."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Good. Here you are." Xeven handed her one of the plates, a quarter piece sitting neatly in the center.

"And a fork for you," Tevelle added, shoving one of the utensils into Xeven's hand, eager to get started.

The second the dessert touched her tongue; Tevelle closed her eyes in bliss.

"Delicious," she remarked silently. Xeven nodded his agreement.

"A before dinner snack?" A voice said from beside Xeven. It was Dumbledore, no doubt on his way to the head table for his meal.

"Why yes. Your house elves are quite adept at such a difficult recipe. Would you like a taste, Albus?"

Dumbledore chuckled quietly. "No thank you, my friend. As delectable as that blood-velvet cake looks I already have my heart set on a potpie. Perhaps another time.

"Very well," Xeven nodded and, seeing Tevelle's now empty plate, placed the remainder of Tevelle's half upon it.

"You know, Tevelle," Xeven continued once Dumbledore had left, "You would do well to savor things in life. For one, desserts would last much longer."

Tevelle looked down at her already nearly finished cake. Where had it all gone?

"Yeah," she answered aloud, smiling sheepishly at the elder vampire, "I'm noticing that."


	11. Memories

 

_"Tom! Where are you going!" Tevelle called after him exasperated. Still, she couldn't help but laugh breathlessly. "The castle's that way. We're late enough as it is. At this rate we'll have to sneak back to our dorms. Tom!"_

_Tevelle wrapped her cloak more securely about herself, the night's chill creeping into her robes. "Wait up!" She called after the retreating figure. She pushed her feet into a jog._

_"Really, Tom, couldn't this wait until daylight- oompf!"_

_Strong arms caught her as she tripped over a tree root._

_"Easy there," Tom smiled as he pulled her to her feet, leaving an arm around her waist._

_"Well it's your fault!" Tevelle poked his chest with false anger. "If you would just explain where we're going!"_

_"But where would the fun in that be?" Tom countered. Walking beside her now, fingers intertwined with Tevelle's. "You know how I like surprising you."_

_"And you know how I can't handle surprises. I'm just too damn curious." Tevelle pulled Tom closer, teasing, beaming up at him._

_"Exactly," Tom stopped suddenly, turning so they were toe to toe. "You're just so cute when you squirm."_

_"Tom!"_

_He dodged Tevelle's playful kick easily and broke into a jog, pulling her along behind him._

_"Where-?" The words stuck in her throat._

_They were not far from the castle, but Tevelle now understood why he had decided to bring her here at night._

_The great lake shimmered silver underneath the full moon. The stars reflected in the mirror like surface making it hard to distinguish between land and sky. The water of the lake was perfectly still, not a single ripple disturbing the pebbly shore._

_"Wow," Tevelle breathed. "It's beautiful." She turned to Tom beside her._

_He was grinning like a fool._

_"Isn't it?" He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she leaned against him, no longer cold._

_"Actually, I'm surprised you haven't been out here at night before," he said quietly, as if speaking any louder would shatter the sky._

_"Well, it's cold, and the sky is almost never this clear," Tevelle answered in a similar tone._

_She looked up at the sky, not a cloud was in sight._

_"I guess that's true," Tom conceded, his thumb absently brushing Tevelle's wrist as he spoke._

_Tevelle just breathed, reveling in the moment._

_"So," Tom was speaking again, "You know this ball that the headmaster decided to throw?"_

_"Of course," She answered, "None of my roommates will stop talking about it."_

_"How would you like to go with me?"_

_Warmth rushed through her. Turning around in his arms, she kissed him, hoping that was answer enough._

Breath heavy, she woke with a start. Tevelle tried her best to still her breathing enough to hear if she had woken her roommates. All was quiet. Good. The others were still asleep. False concern and questions were not welcome at the moment.

_Why did I dream that?_

It had been a while, several days at least, since her old memories had worked their way into her dreams like this.

_Oh, yeah. The Yule Ball._

Earlier that day it had been announced that over Christmas break the school would be hosting a dance as a traditional part of the Triwizard festivities. The entire school was abuzz with it. Two of Tevelle's roommates already had potential dates and several options for dresses they could wear. One girl had even had the audacity to offer to set Tevelle up with a friend of a friend.

There was only one person she would even consider going to a ball with…. And he was not an option. She had to stifle her near-hysterical laughter when she thought of everyone's reactions if she showed up with Tom Riddle…  _Voldemort,_  she corrected herself.

_Well, considering how they never found his corpse, I feel that would be rather impractical._

Tevelle rolled over in frustration. Why was she even thinking that?

_Do I still love him?_

The thought made her stop breathing in shock.

_Why? How? I can't still love him. He_ killed  _me. He killed me then went on to become a monster. Even if he hadn't killed me back then I still would have become his enemy. He's dead anyway, or supposed to be, so it doesn't matter. I can't and I don't love him!_

She swiped at an angry tear.

_Then why does this useless lump of muscle in my chest hurt so much?_

Curtains tore under her hands as she pushed them open. Not bothering grabbing a cloak, Tevelle moved swiftly and silently for the window. She had to get out of there or she was going to burst. The door was too slow.

Quiet despite her speed, Tevelle opened the window, the well-oiled hinges barely squeaked. While the majority of the Slytherin dormitories were underground in the dungeons, the highest rooms reached up into the second and third floors. It was a short drop to the ground.

The darkness of the night wrapped comfortingly around her and she could sense easily that there were still several hours before even the most ambitious rays of the sun peeked over the horizon.

Tevelle ran. She was not aware of her destination, but her feet knew where they were going. She let them carry her as fast as they would. She just needed to get away from the castle and the memories that seemed to seep from its stones. Time passed, though how much exactly Tevelle didn't know. Eventually her feet slowed to a stop, and she stood, legs shaking with the strain.

Dark trees surrounded her, blocking the moonlight. Somewhere nearby a small animal scuttled amidst the underbrush and the sounds of a somewhat larger animal followed. She breathed and let herself listen to the sound of the forest for a moment.

And screamed.

Tevelle almost lost awareness with the force of her scream. She felt her vocal chords tear but ignored the pain that brought. The pain in her chest was slowly lessening and that was all that mattered. Eventually the air in her lungs ran out and Tevelle collapsed to her knees sobbing silently. She did not bother filling her lungs with air again. Breathing was a comfort that she did not want at the moment.

Strong arms rested on her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. The scent of Xeven reached her nose and she relaxed against him, shoulders still quivering as tears streaked down her face.

" _I want to go home,"_ Tevelle whimpered silently. " _I'm sick of this place. Fifty years ago I told myself I never wanted to step foot in that damn castle again. What am I doing here?"_

Xeven said nothing. He sat there, letting Tevelle rant and sob, all in stoic silence.

" _I hate this place. I hate everything here! I wish I had died in that crash with my parents when I was a baby, then Dumbledore never would have found me at that orphanage and invited me to learn magic. I never would have met_ him _. None of this would have happened!"_

Gradually, Tevelle's tears subsided and she found herself exhausted but the heaviness in her chest had lightened.

" _Sorry, Xeven, I thought I had gotten over this years ago."_

" _I would be very surprised if you had,"_ the elder vampire spoke for the first time that night,  _"It takes a long time to come to terms with a betrayal such as you experienced if at all. I knew how difficult it would be for you to return here and I am sorry for asking such a thing from you. If I did not feel it necessary I would have kept you as far away from Hogwarts as possible for the next century at least."_ Xeven rested a hand on her head, smoothing down her disheveled hair. " _How often have you been having these dreams?"_

" _Too often."_

" _I will see what I can do about a potion to help you rest without remembering your dreams when you wake."_

" _Thank you,"_ Tevelle said silently with gratitude, " _And I didn't mean it… when I said I wish none of this had happened."_

" _I know,"_  Xeven assured her, " _It was a choice you made at a time you could be nothing but honest. No matter what you say when you're angry or hurt, that will never change."_

Tevelle smiled.

They sat there for a short while, Tevelle curled up against her mentor's side. When she felt Xeven's muscles tense though, she clutched his arm suddenly anxious.

" _I don't want to go back to the castle tonight,"_  she pleaded.

Xeven softened. " _Very well then, tonight you can sleep out here."_

" _Thank you."_

Smiling softly, Xeven stood and this time she did not protest. " _Just be sure to return before breakfast so you don't go to classes with twigs in your hair."_

Laughter bubbled up from Tevelle's gut and even though it hurt her injured vocal chords she let it out in a short bark. " _I'll try."_


	12. Questions

Tevelle didn't get any more rest that night. Instead she leaned against the rough trunk of the nearest tree, trying not to think. At one point the herd of thestrals joined her, one of the foals collapsing bonelessly next to her, head in her lap. One of Tevelle's hands absentmindedly stroked the colt's head and neck and the foal was soon fast asleep. The rest of the herd milled about, some dozing, others munching contentedly on the underbrush or snatching leaves off a low-hanging branch. A second foal pawed at the earth for a slightly more proteinatious snack. One adult remained on guard at all times, ears twitching at any sudden sound.

A smile tugged at her lips at the scene. Oh wouldn't Hagrid be surprised if he discovered her then. No doubt he would wonder how the docile herd was so comfortable around such a predator.

The colt twitched his legs in some dream, head tossing slightly.

" _Hush_  darling," She whispered soothingly and the young thestral settled into a less distressing dream.

The first light of false dawn lit the forest far sooner than Tevelle would have liked. Reluctantly, she slid out form underneath the colt, trying not to wake him. Luckily, he was sleeping deeply, like only young creatures could, and did not stir as she set his head down gently. Saying goodbye to each member of the herd, Tevelle began making her way back up to the castle, combing a hand through her hair as she walked.

_Good, no twigs or leaves, Xeven would be proud._

After a quick stop in her dormitory to change into a fresh set of robes, Tevelle went to breakfast, her mood considerably brighter than during the night and day before.

She was surprised to find a package waiting for her on the table next to her morning goblet of blood. A single card was tucked into a fold in the plain brown paper wrappings. Tevelle took a sip out of her goblet, turning the card in her hand curiously.

_A gift in hopes that this Yule Ball will be a fonder memory than your last Hogwarts ball. Wear it well. ~Xeven_

Tevelle smiled and looked up towards the staff table in hopes the elder vampire was eating his breakfast as well. His seat was curiously empty.

 _Oh well_ , Tevelle thought to herself, _I'll just have to remember to thank him later._

Curiosity got the better of her and, downing the rest of her blood in one large gulp, Tevelle retreated back to her dormitory to see what her mentor had given her. Once in her room, Tevelle tore into the paper as fast as her hands would allow. She never had been able to handle surprises.

Silky smooth fabric met her fingers and Tevelle held it up in front of her as far out as her arms would reach. Deep red silk cascaded down all the way to the floor.

"Oh, that is gorgeous," One of her roommates said, walking into the room. As much as Tevelle wanted to snarl at the girl's unasked for comment, she couldn't help but agree.

The gown was stunning. The bodice was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, obviously fitted expertly. At the hips the bottom seam tapered into a point at the center. The skirt of the gown, in the same blood-red fabric as the bodice, hung all the way down to the floor, flaring out a little near the bottom so that her legs would have full range of movement. She turned it around, seeing that the back of the bodice laced up but was otherwise unadorned.

Tevelle thought of the simple black halter dress she had intended to wear. Xeven's gift put her former dress to shame.

_I will definitely have to thank him later._

Tucking the gown carefully away in her trunk, Tevelle made her way to her first class of the day…

…Only to be waylaid as she passed by the library.

"Can I help you?" She asked a very flustered looking Victor Krum.

 _Wait, why is_ he _flustered?_ Tevelle thought sourly,  _he's not the one late for class._

Krum flushed. "Um, I vas vondering..." He started speaking awkwardly.

"Sorry," Tevelle interrupted when she caught sight of the library's clock. Snap, she was going to be  _very_  late. She still had quite a distance to travel. McGonagall was  _not_  going to be pleased. "Can you tell me later? I have to get to class. See you!"

_Maybe if I sprint I'll make it. No, but there are people around. They'll notice if I suddenly start running at super-human speeds._

She left the confused Quiditch player behind her, already focused on maintaining an acceptable speed that might get her there on time but would not blow her cover.

"Ms. Nightshade, you are late." McGonagall said when Tevelle came crashing through the door. "Take a seat and ten points from Slytherin."

Glad she didn't have yet another detention, Tevelle collapsed into the nearest seat.

"Now, as I was saying before we were interrupted, today we will be working on transfiguring exact copies of an object."

McGonagall flicked her wand in a single carefully controlled movement toward a small, ornately carved oaken box. An exact replica soon took shape beside it where previously there had been a porcelain teacup.

"It will not be sufficient to simply make another box similar to the first," the professor continued. "Every minute detail down to the pattern of the wood grain or a chip in the carvings should be identical." She eyed the class sternly as if daring a student to complain. "Now, materials are in the cupboard and the proper incantation is on the board. Get to work."

Tevelle was slightly relieved that she had been pulled back several years in classes. Having died in her sixth year, fourth year classes were relatively easy despite her many years of disuse. This spell particularly had given her trouble the first time around. Though Professor Dumbledore had been a slightly more laid-back teacher than Professor McGonagall. He generally accepted work with one or two slight mistakes, not so with Minerva McGonagall.

"Ms. Nightshade," McGonagall said, "Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office."  _Well what do you know, speak of the devil…._

"Yes, Professor." Tevelle said as she gathered up her things. It always felt weird speaking to one of her former classmates like that. She kept wanting to call her Minerva or even Minnie. They had been friends once, not close ones, but close enough that they would hang out occasionally. Stepping out into the hallway, Tevelle wondered sadly if that even if she hadn't died would they still have lost contact and grown apart till they were more than strangers. Then she remembered Tom. Most likely they would have become enemies.

Before she knew it her feet had carried her all of the way to the gargoyle. Tevelle pushed her musings to the back of her mind and looked up at the intimidating statue.

"I don't have a password, but I do have an appointment, so could you let me up and save me the trouble of shouting out random sweets and dancing about like an idiot?"

The gargoyle sprung aside and Tevelle had the distinct impression the enchanted statue was chuckling.

"Thank you." She said, stepping onto the rotating stairs. She continued to walk, too impatient to simply wait for the stairs to spiral her up at their own slow pace.

Dumbledore's voice sounded slightly muffled through the wooden door as she knocked. "Come in."

"Professor, I was just thinking about you actually," Tevelle said once the pleasantries and offers of lemon drops were out of the way. "Remember that replication spell I had so much trouble with back in my fourth year. Well it turns out its not so hard the second time around."

"Oh yes, I remember. It always was the middle level spellwork that you always had the most difficulty with. The more complex they were, the less time it took you to master them, with the exception of the truly simple spells of course."

"Yeah, Xeven complains about me being backwards all the time."

Dumbledore chuckled, reaching out to pet Fawkes who had landed on the desk beside him. Tevelle took the moment of silence to snatch a second lemon drop from the bowl on his desk.

"So," She said after a minute, "What did you need? I figure you wouldn't call me out of class for no reason."

"Yes. Earlier this year Xeven told me that you saw someone suspicious by the Goblet of Fire at the beginning of the competition. I won't ask why you were down there and I know it is rather after the fact, but could you tell me what you saw?"

Tevelle thought for a moment. The memories were still there, but the edges were beginning to cloud over. "You probably want to ask Xeven about that. I gave most of my memory to him so my recollection is fuzzy at best. He also would probably be able to tell you more of what is actually happening than me as well, being an outside observer and all that."

"Ah," was the only response she received.

"Sorry I couldn't help you more. Did you need anything else?"

"Ah, yes. It also came to my attention that Xeven requested some potions so that you could sleep without dreams. While that is mostly between Poppy and Xeven I like to keep tabs on any of my students if I think they might be having problems. Anything you would like to talk about?"

Tevelle shifted uncomfortably, biting down on what remained of her lemon drop and snatching another. Fawkes trilled lightly, winging his way over to his perch.

"They're just dreams. You know, old memories getting stirred up from coming back here after so long."

"Ah, I don't mean to pry, but any in particular?"

Tevelle scowled. He quite obviously did mean to pry.

"Well you know, being in  _his_  house and all, plenty on when I died. Though the hatred my former classmates have for me is not helping the matter. They seem to have all conveniently forgotten that Tom did kill me before he even took the name of Voldemort. There is very little chance that even with me being a vampire I am out for revenge against Harry for killing my ex. Not that being a vampire should have anything to do with it either. I find much of their dislike and prejudice against me very misplaced and immature. I am here for my schooling, the same as any other student here."

"I see," Dumbledore said carefully, the twinkle in his eye gone and a stern expression on his face. "I will discuss this with them. In the meantime, hopefully the potion will help you sleep. If there are any more problems such as this, please come see me."

"Thank you, Professor."

Tevelle looked at her watch. It was nearly lunchtime. How long had she been talking? Still, there was no point in going back to class now. She stole a couple more lemon drops said her goodbyes to both wizard and phoenix before making her way down to the great hall. As she sat down at her seat, Tevelle looked up to see Xeven walking towards her, a small bottle in his hand.

"The potion I promised you. One small sip before you go to sleep should do it, though be careful that you do not take too much or you will oversleep and miss your morning classes."

"Thanks a lot, and can you thank Poppy for me too?"

"Of course," Xeven said, a small smile in his voice. "Now, sit down and eat something."

Giving her mentor a quick hug, Tevelle did has he said, ladling some thick soup into a bowl on her plate. She dipped her roll into the broth and took a large hunk out of it with her teeth.

Soon enough a very jumpy looking Krum joined her.  _Oh yeah, he was trying to ask me something this morning._

"So," she said, turning to him, "What were you trying to ask me this morning?"

Krum blushed; something Tevelle thought did not suit him at all. She was about to remark on it, but suddenly his heartbeat slowed and a cool confidence replaced the discomfort.

"I vas vondering if anyvone had asked you to the Yule Ball."

"Not yet."

A cool smirk met her baffled half-smile.

"Vould you go vith me?"

"What? To the ball?" Tevelle asked, astonished anyone would ask her. It wasn't as if she had any real friends amidst the students and she had been quite rude to Krum on several occasions. She almost said yes. Krum was pretty much the only one she could tolerate at meals. It only made sense. If she was going with anyone it would be him. Still, something didn't seem right. She looked at him again, all cool-smiles and calm heartbeats. That was it. He was too calm. True he had seemed anxious at first, but there had been no trace of it when he actually asked her the question.

"No."

"Vat?"

"No," Tevelle reiterated calmly, smiling kindly. "No."

"Vhy?"

"Because, you don't want to go with me, not really."

The air around Krum smelled of confusion, so Tevelle elaborated. "You just asked me because it was easier than asking the person you really want to go with."

Krum flushed with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment.

Tevelle swallowed the last of her soup and blood before standing. "Go ahead and ask who you really want to ask. At the worst she'll say no and if that happens feel free to ask me again."

She left him then though she could feel his thoughtful eyes following her as she left the great hall. At the door she bumped into a distracted Hermione and she heard the spike in Krum's heartbeat.

 _Ah…_  "Sorry, Hermione, didn't see you there. See you in the library later? I have some SPEW ideas." She smiled, apologizing loud enough that Krum, who sat at the end of the Slytherin table, would be able to hear.

"Yeah, no problem," Hermione answered, oblivious to their audience, "How does seven sound."

"Perfect, see you then."

 _"What are you plotting, little bat?"_  Xeven's voice rang through her head. Of course he had heard everything.

" _Something that would happen anyway, I'm just speeding up the process."_ Tevelle answered, not quite able to keep the mischievousness she felt from her mind's voice.

She could almost hear Xeven's exasperated sigh.

Tevelle looked at her watch. She still had plenty of time before her afternoon classes began and it looked quite cloudy outside. Perfect for some fresh air without worrying about the sun.

Once she found a small alcove in the courtyard that was sufficiently shadowed, Tevelle curled up with her sketchbook and started drawing.

"Can I sit here?" A voice interrupted.  _Why does he always interrupt when it's obvious I want to be alone?_ _  
_

"What is it?" She asked harshly.

"Krum asked you to the ball?"

"Yeah, so? What's your point, Malfoy?"

"What did you say?"

"Why do you care?"

"I'm curious; I want to know."

 _Did the boy not know how to take a hint?_ "I said no actually, now go away, I'm drawing and enjoying the cloudy sky."

"So you're not going with anyone yet."

 _Or ever if I can help it._ She did not say anything aloud however, and it seemed Malfoy took her silence as confirmation.

"Will you go with me?"

Tevelle nearly dropped her pencil.

"What?" Why the hell would he ask her? She obviously didn't like him and was rude every time they met. What gave him the idea she would go to a ball with him?

"I said, would you go to the Yule Ball with -?"

"Yes, I heard what you said," Tevelle interrupted brusquely.

"So…." He trailed off expectantly.

"The answer is no."

"Why?"

 _Because you're sixty years younger than me, and you're an annoying brat who just wants to go to the ball with me because I'm the shiny new transfer student._ "Because I don't want to and you annoy me."

Her mood suddenly soured, Tevelle left the confused and slightly hurt boy behind her. In her annoyance she ignored the fact that she had sensed nothing but genuine emotions from him the entire time.


	13. Dancing Shoes

The time leading up to the Yule Ball passed by much quicker than Tevelle had anticipated. Before she knew it, the term had ended and the winter break had begun. Unfortunately, unlike all of her previous years at Hogwarts, very few people went home. Instead of being nearly empty, the castle was bustling with people.

_After all,_  Tevelle remarked to herself,  _who would want to miss the Yule Ball. Well, besides me of course._

If she had had her choice, Tevelle would very much have liked to return home and leave this castle for good. The choice was not hers however. Xeven had determined she would stay, so stay she would.

Unsurprisingly, other than the two offers, no one else had asked her to the ball. Tevelle was glad of that. What did bother her, however, was the probable reason behind this. Within hours it seemed the entire school had heard about her rejection of Malfoy. Reactions varied between scathing, disbelieving looks from her own house, and surprised, almost gleeful looks from other houses, especially the Gryffindors. The fact that she had rejected Victor Krum as well only compounded the disbelief.

The morning of the Ball found Tevelle up and moving long before breakfast after an utterly sleepless night. Whenever she closed her eyes the image of Tom waited for her, smiling Tom, looking exactly as he had that one night so many years ago when he had asked her to a dance, lit almost surreally with the silver light of the moon.

Tevelle dashed the image from her mind. She was not going to think about that. This was not the same ball, not even close. And she had been to many balls between the two in her time as a vampire. Xeven threw several balls and parties every year, each far more extravagant than this Yule Ball was sure to be, let alone that one Hogwarts ball years ago when she had been human. Images of Tom never plagued her with those parties. Why now?

_What a silly question_ , she growled to herself, pushing aside her bed's heavy curtains and shoving her feet into slippers. It was the school of course. This was her first Ball at Hogwarts since her death. Hogwarts had far too many memories, the vast majority of which involved Tom.

Careful not to disturb anyone, Tevelle threw on a cloak over the sweat pants and tank top that she had worn to bed and slipped out of the Slytherin dormitory and into the hall. Maybe she could walk off some of the feelings and memories that clung to her mind like cobwebs.

The corridors were quiet as Tevelle wandered, paying no mind to where her feet carried her. Even the paintings were snoozing in their frames. The utter silence gave the castle a feeling of waiting, as if the stone halls of the ancient castle were frozen in anticipation of the chaos of students that would fill them in just a few short hours.

Tevelle yawned, blinking in exhaustion. Not only was it almost daylight when by all right's as a vampire she should be on her way to bed, but she also hadn't gotten any rest since two nights before. Without really knowing where she was, Tevelle ducked into the first bathroom she saw. Perhaps some cold water splashed on her face would wake her up.

The faucet was creaky at first, stuck as if it hadn't been used in a long while. With a wrench of her wrist and strength slightly super-human, Tevelle managed to get the steady trickle of cool water to turn into a steadier stream. Cupping some water in her palms, Tevelle bent over to splash her face.

All of a sudden a high-pitched wail sounded behind her. Tevelle, covering her sensitive ears, wheeled around, splashing water on the counter and floor as she went. Before her, clutching at pigtails and wailing as if in pain was a ghost from her past.

"Myrtle?" Tevelle gasped, surprised. She knew that Myrtle had been killed soon after she had been turned, but had had no idea Myrtle had decided to remain and haunt her place of death.

Myrtle, choked off her wail, letting out a strangled sob instead.

"What are you doing here?" Tevelle let her hands fall to her sides.

" _Me?_ " Myrtle's transparent hands twisted the fabric of an equally transparent robe in distress. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I  _died_!"

"Well, yes, that makes two of us," Tevelle responded wryly. A second later, she regretted her tone.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," she corrected when Myrtle started to cry.

"W-why are you here?" Myrtle sobbed, "A-are y-you just here to t-tease me?" Suddenly she stopped sobbing, tone becoming accusatory. "You  _are_  aren't you! You just want to rub it in my face that I'm dead and I'm a ghost don't you! You and your solid body thinking 'let's just go see the ghost-girl, maybe throw a pencil through her head, oh, it'll be good fun'! Oh, poor poor Myrtle, can't even catch a pencil-"

"You know what?" Tevelle interrupted, suddenly no longer feeling sympathy, "You're right. Poor Myrtle, having the chance to move on and giving it up so she can mope in the bathroom. Let's all feel sorry for the girl who chose to stay. Well guess what, not all of us have the choice to move on. Some of us are stuck hauling around our body all the time. I lost my chance to move on. I die now, that's it. No more afterlife for me, because I'm living it already." Tevelle felt herself glaring at the ghost, hands reaching out as if to grab the front of Myrtle's robes. "And I'll let you in on a secret. My afterlife is a hell of a lot less like paradise than yours will be once you get it together and let go of haunting toilets."

Alert and energized once again, Tevelle stalked out of the bathroom.  _Myrtle probably didn't even recognize me,_  she snarled silently,  _we weren't friends or anything, but it wasn't like I was mean to her._ Slowly her anger drained as she resumed her wandering.

Soft sunlight started to filter through slightly frosted windowpanes, filling the corridor with a dim rosy light. Tevelle winced, carefully looking away from the rising sun. Soon the hallways would be crowded with excited children and even some teachers, not exactly a welcome thought. With a sigh, Tevelle made her way back to her dormitory to get ready for the day.

The sight that waited for her was mildly unexpected.

Piled at the foot of her bed atop her trunk was a small heap of brightly wrapped packages. For a second, Tevelle was confused. Then her brain caught up to her.

_Oh, right, Christmas._

Back at the Coven they did not celebrate Christmas usually. Occasionally they would mark midwinter with a similar celebration or ball, but what the humans called holidays were more often than not allowed to pass by unremarked. "Holidays stem from religion, and religion is a human construct," Xeven would say when asked, "Vampires have no need of such things." Tevelle had the feeling Xeven's antipathy ran deeper, but his tone always brooked no argument.

Her roommates were already digging into their considerably larger piles of gifts, occasionally quietly offering a snide remark to the relatively small pile of Tevelle's gifts but she ignored them.

Tevelle reached for the largest first, wrapped in deep green paper with a gold ribbon with a note attached. " _This is from everyone back home. We decided you needed proper accessories_ _to go with that gown Xeven is going to give you_ _for the Yule Ball. The others wanted to give you more, so you might have a few more presents besides this. Giving Christmas gifts is a novel experience. We should do this more often regardless of what Xeven says…. Maybe pretend they're for midwinter or something. Anyway, Happy Christmas from all of us back home, we hope you're doing all right among the humans. Tanas says to remind you to not to eat anyone, you don't know where those teenagers have been, you might contract something unpleasant. Love, Aria"_

Chuckling softly and with a broad smile, Tevelle opened her main gift. Tevelle was dimly aware of a sudden silence behind her where before there had been loud comparisons of which roommate received the most expensive or impressive gift. She could feel her own eyes widen in surprise.

Sitting in a simple velvet-lined box was a necklace and a set of matching earrings. The necklace was a thick gold, collar-style necklace, the thick band of gold widening towards the front where it would most likely cover her collarbones. The band tapered off to a point that would end up being just above her breastbone once she tried it on. The band itself was not solid, but was made up of varying thicknesses of strips of gold metal, interwoven into a sort of celtic knot. At the very center of the design, just above where the necklace tapered into a point was a single, diamond-shaped garnet. The earrings were dangling, simplified versions of the necklace, each with their own considerably smaller garnet that their center.

_They really do not know the meaning of subtle do they?_ Tevelle, gaped. There was little doubt the jewelry would look stunning and match perfectly to the dress Xeven had given.  _Aria probably picked both out_ , she smiled at the thought.

"Wow, how much did that cost?" A voice said behind her. This time, Tevelle answered. "I don't know. I wasn't told. That would have been rude."

"It looks like it belongs in a museum! How old is it, do you think?" The girls behind her continued as if Tevelle hadn't spoken. "It's probably some heirloom."

Tevelle couldn't argue with that. Aria and the rest might have bought it, but then again they might have found it amidst Xeven's generous collection of the treasure he had bought, found, or earned over the ages. Tevelle did not care either way. It could have been cheap costume jewelry (which it obviously wasn't), what mattered was the fact that her family missed her and had all chipped in to give her this gorgeous gift.

Returning the necklace carefully to its box, Tevelle set it aside and turned to her few other gifts. These turned out to be more along the lines of what she had been expecting. Tanas had sent her some blood candy (in order to help "resist the urge to eat diseased teenagers"), Elyie a plush stuffed animal bat, Robert a slice of Bloodvelvet cake, Ievan a new sketchbook, and Hien and Howell had sent her new colored pencils and brightly colored inks. Those who had not sent a smaller gift had sent her a card or note.

Smiling, Tevelle tucked her more useful gifts into her bag. There were no classes, but the sky was cloudy and it would be a good day to sit in a corner and draw. The small stuffed bat she tucked into a pocket, the fuzzy fabric ears just barely visible poking up over the edge.

Breakfast was a hectic affair. The great hall was chaotic with overly excited students. A quick look up at the head table confirmed that Xeven had opted out of sitting and listening to the shrill voices of the children. Tevelle couldn't blame him and planned to follow his example. She just needed to grab her blood and make a speedy exit.

To her good fortune, Tevelle managed to get in and out of the great hall without being delayed more than having to sidestep a large group of excited fifth years, all the while being very careful not to spill the contents of her goblet.

The container of blood was drained by the time she reached the doors. Spotting a relatively obvious alcove along the wall, Tevelle set the goblet down where a house elf was sure to notice it. For a second she toyed with bringing a goblet down to the kitchens herself to save them some trouble, but during the breakfast rush, she would no doubt just be in their way.

Finding a shady spot was easy… finding a place to sit that was not covered in snow, however was another matter. Further away from the castle, she could hear shouts and screams of excited children, no doubt waging some form of snow war. Time passed, but somehow everything remained the same. Tevelle could have just as easily have walked out the doors and arrived in the time when she was still human. The students acted exactly the same no matter their generation. Suddenly feeling old, she renewed her search for the perfect spot, preferably out of range of the screaming children. It would not be conducive to have a melted snowball splattered all over her drawing.

Tevelle finally settled on a little, out-of-the-way bench tucked into a corner of the outer wall of the courtyard. Above an overhang prevented snow from piling up for a good few feet outwards, as well as sheltering the space from the wind. The spot was also far enough away from the other students, that it would be unlikely for someone to randomly stumble upon her hiding place. She was not in the mood for socializing; there would be more than enough of that later in the night.

Soon enough she was absorbed in her work, carefully rendering a few strands of ivy that crawled up a particularly weathered birdbath. When the sun had retreated behind the western wall to the point where the entire area was bathed in shadow, Tevelle decided she was done for the day. Satisfied that it would only take an hour or so on another day with similar weather to complete the drawing, she packed up her belongings and set off to the kitchens to find her goblet of blood. There would be no real dinner that day because of the feast later, but Xeven had made arrangements for the house-elves in the kitchens to set aside her goblet there, so that she may fetch it when she wished.

Once that task was done, Tevelle made her leisurely way back to the Slytherin dorm. There was still plenty of time to prepare for the ball, but with a loss of what else to do, she set out to do just that. When she arrived, she found her roommates already primping and twisting their hair into sleek, fashionable styles markedly more elaborate than their everyday standard.

"Tevelle!" One girl, Pansy, who didn't actually share a room with them, but was no doubt here helping her friends, "You had better hurry! You won't have time to get ready at this rate."

Startled for a second that Pansy actually knew her name, Tevelle just nodded. No need to tell them that with the number of times a year Xeven hosted parties and balls more prestigious than this school event gave her ample practice at getting ready in short amounts of time with the same result as spending hours perfecting her image.

Grabbing a brush, Tevelle started attacking her hair, not yet sure what she would do with it that would look good with her dress and jewelry. Anything too elaborate and it would clash with the choker, but just leaving it down would just be asking for it to be constantly getting in the way. She settled for a half-up-half-down style with a single braid pulled back with the rest for accent.

With that settled, she sat down on her bed, a mirror propped up on her knees, and started on her makeup. She purposefully took more time than needed for this step. Once strapped into her dress, her options of what she could do while waiting were limited and Tevelle did not fancy watching the others in their preparations. They might ask her to help, which while oddly tempting, Tevelle didn't want to risk it.

With her face powdered and painted as close to perfection as it was going to get, Tevelle turned to the dress. She was going to need help getting laced into it.

Her thoughts drifted, no longer occupied with the preparations.

_"They really went all out for the decorations, didn't they?" Tevelle was admiring a rather detailed ice sculpture of a stag when Tom came up behind her._

_"No hello?" She asked him with a smile. They had agreed to meet up at the base of the stairs in the entrance hall, a good halfway point between the Slytherin and Hufflepuff dormitories._

_"I tried, but found myself tongue-tied. A simple 'hello' would not do this moment justice."_

_"You're such a flirt!" Tevelle elbowed him in the side, blushing nevertheless._

_Tevelle basked in Tom's answering smile, taking the green-clad arm offered._

_"Shall we?" Tom bowed his head playfully in the direction of the great hall._

_"We shall." They joined the queue leading into the makeshift ballroom._

_"By the way," Tom spoke as they lined up to dance, "That dress on you is breathtaking."_

Blinking, and shaking her head to dispel the memory, Tevelle reached for her gown. The gown that met her fingers was the exact opposite of the one trapped in her mind's eye. Dark blue fabric was replaced with deep red, velvet with silk, long slim sleeves with a distinct lack thereof.

"Need a hand with that?" Pansy asked, saving Tevelle the trouble of asking.

Tevelle nodded, swiftly changing into the gown so that Pansy would be able to lace up the back.

"Thanks," Tevelle said with a distracted smile, and began the hunt for wherever her heels had run off to.

"No problem," the girl answered, already moving on to one of her friends to perform a similar service.

_There you are_ , Tevelle thought at her wayward shoes. One had somehow worked its way under the skirt of her bed; the other was wedged between her trunk and the wall.  _No idea how you found your way there though._ She shook her head. Shoes turned up in the oddest of places, usually nowhere near where she had placed them.

Carefully, Tevelle sat down on the edge of her trunk and strapped on the heels. Hopefully no one would step on her feet, as they were open-toed. All that remained was her jewelry. This was a simple matter. The necklace was fastened easily enough with a hidden clasp in the back and due to the design it required little adjustment; earrings soon followed.

Ignoring the appreciative murmur from the other girls, Tevelle spared a quick glance in the mirror to ensure everything was in order, and began making her way up to the festivities that were due to start in a few minutes.

Despite having some time before the clock chimed eight, the enterace hall was quite crowded. Not exactly enthused about wading neck-deep through humans, Tevelle skirted the periphery of the crowd to find a less crowded spot.

From where she stood, she had a good view of the rest of the Slytherins when they arrived. Pansy had changed into nauseatingly pink and frilly robes in the short time since Tevelle had seen her.  _So some of these humans know how to prepare in a timely fashion_ , she thought idly, mildly impressed by Pansy's speed. Her gaze shifted to Pansy's date. Malfoy wearing  _very_ traditional formal robes of black was looking around, apparently less than enthralled by the witch clinging to him. Tevelle choked, the high-collar bringing an uncomfortable memory to the surface.

" _I don't understand how you can stand that collar, Tom." Tevelle reached up and tugged at the offending fabric. The black velvet formal robe that Tom was wearing was otherwise very stylish. It was just that ridiculous collar. "Doesn't that get uncomfortable?"_

" _It might be uncomfortable, but I can assure you that it is the height of wizarding fashion at the moment." Tom gently, but forcefully removed her hand and brought it down to his side. He did not let go, however._

" _Never knew you cared that much about fashion."_

Closing her eyes, Tevelle forced herself to focus on the moment and ignore the past. The great oak doors leading to the grounds opened and the Durmstrang students swept inside. Krum led them, Hermione by his side. Catching, Tevelle's eye as she passed, Hermione smiled, nudging to get Krum's attention. Seeing Tevelle as well, he nodded in a silent greeting and they continued past.

"Champions over here, please!" McGonagall ordered, her not-quite loud voice carrying over the chatter easily. While the champions waited in order to make their grand entrance, the professors ushered the other students inside.

The great hall was nearly unrecognizable, glazed over with ice frost spotted with garlands of ivy and mistletoe as it was; it looked like a winter wonderland. The center of the space was clear for dancing and small, candle-lit tables formed a ring around the edges. Where the staff table usually sat, there was a single circular table occupied by the judges and other officials with several seats left (no doubt for the champions and their dates). Tevelle was almost surprised to find Xeven was not among those seated at the head table.

" _I am here,_ " Xeven answered her un-voiced question. Following the 'sound' of his mind's voice, Tevelle turned to a medium-sized table set up slightly to the right of the judge's table. A good number of the other professors were seated with him, leaving only two empty seats, one next to Xeven and the other between Hagrid and Trelawney.

Tevelle took the seat next to her mentor.

"Where have you been hiding all day?" She asked him, toying with an earring self-consciously. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret the looks she was getting.

"I am not sure hiding is the correct term. I had simply decided to spend the day in quiet reflection. It is not often I am a guest at an even such as this, usually I am the host. It was quite refreshing to not having to see to last minute preparations."

"Ah," Tevelle poked his arm, "You just didn't want to get recruited to help out with your party planning skills."

Xeven looked pointedly the offending finger, and Tevelle withdrew it. "Perhaps," was all the elder vampire said.

There was brief moment of comfortable silence between the two, in which Tevelle became increasingly aware of the stares in her direction.

"I wish people would stop staring. Do I have something on my face?"

"The dress suits you. You can hardly blame the poor humans, they are ruled by their hormones after all, especially at that age." Xeven commented, his tone neutral.

"Still…" Tevelle grumbled, wishing she had brought a shawl.

The doors opened; it was time for the champions to make their grand entrance. All attention shifted to them as they strode towards the head table and the empty seats waiting for them. In short order, it was made clear that it was time to order dinner as Dumbledore looked pointedly towards his plate and stated "Pork chops." Taking the hint, everyone else in the hall followed his example.

" _Ah, I hate it when we can order anything. I never know what to pick."_

Xeven looked up slightly from the rare steak he was eating. " _Try to keep it as close to something a human would eat as possible."_ He spoke silently into her mind when he sensed her thoughts drifting in the bloodier direction of food selection.

" _Oh, you mean like that uncooked slab of cow you have on your dish?"_

" _I assure you, it is cooked enough for a human. It is not unusual for one to order steak rare."_

" _That still doesn't make my choice any easier."_  Tevelle grumped, glaring at her empty plate.  _"I still don't know what I want to eat."_

" _Then allow me."_

Before Tevelle could protest, Xeven had leaned over, speaking clearly at the dish. "Chicken carbonera," he stated.

Looking down at the pasta, Tevelle blinked. "Huh, would have thought you were going to order me pork chops or something else meaty."

"Speak in complete sentences. There is meat in that." Xeven took a careful sip of blood from his goblet.

Tevelle just shook her head at him before picking up a fork.

Before long the plates cleared and the tables were shunted closer to the walls to allow for even more room to dance. The band took the stage, starting up a slow tune for the champions who had taken to the floor.

_They had just returned from their brief walk out in the courtyard to allow their supper to digest before they began dancing._

" _I'll go fetch us some drinks." Tom offered._

" _Thanks, I'll wait here."_

_Tevelle amused herself as she sat at a vacant table watching the other students as they walked by. The hall was filled with bright colors and swirling fabrics as people chatted or danced._

_"Anne!" Tevelle exclaimed, distracted by the slightly flushed girl who had flung herself down into the seat beside her._

_"Hi!" The girl answered breathlessly, sweeping her blond hair up into a messy knot at the nape of her neck. "Sorry, I've just been dancing."_

_It was then that a stoic boy sat down on Anne's other side._

" _Hello, Evan, I hope you've been taking care of my roomie." Tevelle kept her voice firm, though she had to fight to keep from laughing. Evan allowed a corner of his mouth to twitch upward to show that he had understood Tevelle meant no harm._

_"Of course he is!" Anne gasped, oblivious to the interaction between the two. When Tevelle bit her lip to keep from laughing outright at Anne's reaction, the other girl paused._

" _Oh," she said, flustered and blushing furiously, "I'm being dense again, aren't I?"_

" _Again? What do you mean again?" Tevelle laughed._

" _Hey!" Anne cried with mock indignation, "Evan, you're my date, defend me!"_

_Evan merely smiled._

" _Evan," Anne whined._

" _How is he supposed to defend you when Tevelle speaks truth?" Tom had returned. A smirk firmly placed on his face. He handed Tevelle a goblet of punch and sat down in the remaining empty seat around the circular table._

" _Not you too!" Anne melodramatically buried her head in her arms, her shoulders shaking slightly with quiet laughter. "Anyway," she continued after a moment, outburst stifled, "How come you get the gentlemen." She nudged Evan in the shoulder. "This one has been flinging me around the dance floor like a ragdoll and he hasn't even asked if I was thirsty."_

" _We went to get some punch only one song ago." Evan stated._

" _That's not the point."_

" _Well," Tom interjected, "It would not do for my reputation for my date to faint from dehydration during our more" he paused as if searching for the right word, "vigorous activities later on tonight."_

" _TOM!" Tevelle smacked him on the back of the head._

" _I was referring to dancing," he responded wryly, grinning widely at her, "What were you thinking of?"_

_It was Tevelle's turn to blush._

The slight scrape of chair legs on the floor brought her back to the moment.

"Do not dwell on the past. Use this as an opportunity to create new memories that can overshadow the painful ones."

"What?" Tevelle stared at Xeven's outstretched hand. He was standing, inviting her to join him for a dance.

" _You were remembering the ball you attended during the time you were a human student here."_

" _How do you know what I've been thinking? Have I been broadcasting it that loudly?"_

Tevelle glanced at several of the professors who she knew or suspected to be Legilimens.

" _For an ordinary person no. But considering how you are my fledgling"_  Tevelle was slightly confused for a moment as he used a more archaic term for her role _, "I am particularly attuned to your thought patterns and it is much easier for me to pick up on these things, especially when you have all but shoved them into my mind's eye."_

" _Sorry, how long have I been doing that?"_

" _All day. It is however, understandable under the circumstances."_

" _I'll focus."_ Aloud she said, "Sure, let's dance." Tevelle took his hand and stood. Together, they joined several others who had the same idea and began a stately waltz.

"People are staring again."

Xeven smiled indulgently. "No doubt it is because of your dancing skills."

"Why? They're," Tevelle broke off to turn twice in quick succession. "They're dancing too. They even had dancing lessons; some of them did anyway."

Xeven lead her into a promenade made up of a series of intricate footwork before he answered. Tevelle, not completely paying attention to her feet, followed along with a few flourishes.

"That is why. Basic ability to shuffle one's feet together does not equate to dancing."

"I see your point. Still, I can't be the only one who actually dances at this school."

"When would they have time? I do not recall Hogwarts having a dance program as either a club or a class."

"Well there should be."

The conversation broke off again as Xeven guided Tevelle into a reverse step with a lean.

"Why do you not start such a club?" Xeven spoke as he lifted Tevelle back into a more upright position.

"Me being social? Actually talking to people? The universe might break. No thank you."

"You are social enough at home."

"Well, that's different. I actually like the people at home. Most of the time, anyway. Hey, that's not a waltz step, that's tango."

"I was simply testing you to see how much you remember. You were also starting to try to lead even if you were not aware. Remember, the follower cannot try to anticipate; there is no way to know what the leader is actually planning to do."

"What if the follower can read minds?"

"That is moot as I am the one leading and you are the one following."

Tevelle grumbled. "Careful, I might  _accidentally_  step on your feet. I am in heels you know."

Xeven merely smiled indulgently before leading her into yet another complicated sequence.

"I'm surprised, you haven't tried a lift yet."

"There is no need to show off, little bat. This is a social dance."

"Still, the song is about to end. I don't think you've ever danced a whole song without even a simple lift if you're dance partner knows how."

Xeven responded by twirling Tevelle once into a simple lift, the first he had taught her several decades before. Xeven dipped Tevelle downward, one arm supporting her torso, the other supporting the leg she had extended behind her.

He set her down gently as the music ended with a prolonged, almost whiny note.

"See, I told you."

"I felt no need to break such an outstanding record. Now, if you will excuse me, you're herbology professor has just remembered that she does indeed remember how to foxtrot."

"Have fun."

Now bereft of an adequate dance partner, Tevelle retreated to one of the tables and took a seat.

"Blimey, where did you learn to dance like that?" A voice exclaimed from her right.

"Hello, Ron, Harry." The two boys were sitting at the table next to her, apparently finished with dancing and abandoned by their partners. "My father hosts several balls a year. I would have been near impossible for me to  _not_  learn how to dance."

"Oh, wow."

"Actually, you're parents attended one a few years ago. Your brother Charlie works for my father, and as a result, your family has a standing invitation. There was a ball during their visit with Charlie, so they joined our festivities."

"They never told me about that?"

"Really? You should ask them about it, maybe your whole family could come next time."

"Who is usually invited?"

"Anyone society or my father deems important. Though the later outweighs the former."

Tevelle smirked as she remembered one disastrous ball that the Malfoy's attended a decade or so back. Their arrogant and aloof attitudes had greatly annoyed many of the coven and offended several guests. Needless to say, they had not been invited back.

Ron looked skeptical, but did not comment further.

Tevelle turned her attention to the dance floor where Xeven was sweeping professor Sprout in a wide arc across the floor. Pomona was doing a credible job of keeping up and Tevelle was mildly impressed.

The rest of the night passed by quickly. Tevelle danced with Xeven a few more times: an upbeat foxtrot, a few other slow waltzes, a fast paced Viennese waltz, and a brisk quickstep. Several times, she took a break to chat with Hermione and Krum, who seemed to be greatly enjoying themselves. Though Hermione sent the occasional glare in the direction of one Ron Weasley who had taken a seat at a table across the hall.

When Tevelle retreated to her bed at the end of the night, she was worn out, but quite satisfied. It did not even occur to her that after supper she had not thought of Tom even once.

 

 


	14. Unicorn Blood

Tevelle was feeling oddly chipper as she sipped her blood. Clouds churned gray and ominous above her in the enchanted ceiling promising cold, dreary weather. Not a single ray of sunshine escaped the cloud cover.

A student a few chairs down the table gripped about the trip to Care of Magical Creatures later in the day.  
"Who would want to go out in this weather? It's frigid. Maybe class will be canceled, I doubt that oaf would want to show his face today anyway." The boy grumbled.

Now that was a curious comment. How would a student know if Hagrid was feeling under the weather?

" _Read the Prophet."_  Tevelle looked up to where Xeven sat. He had the paper laid out in front of him, his mouth set in a pensive frown.

Concern wormed its way into her gut as she reached across the table for the paper the boy who had been complaining about the weather had read minutes before.

"Hey-" The boy started to protest the theft, but Tevelle silenced him with a glare.

_Dumbledore's Giant Mistake_

_Albus Dumbledore, eccentric headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondant._

The more Tevelle read, the larger the sinking feeling in her stomach grew. While Hagrid had never been nice to her and seemed to share the same prejudice against vampires as the rest of the wizarding world, Tevelle was probably the only one at Hogwarts, save Xeven, who could understand what he must be going through.

She had been there long ago, when she had first revealed to her friends from school what had happened. At first they had been surprised and happy to see their friend who, to them, had gone missing without a trace so long ago. Then they noticed that something was different. The little details, the color of her skin and eyes were  _off_. Subtle things were just wrong. More obviously, she had not aged at all in the years since they had last seen her. She was not the Tevelle they had known. Then the surprise and joy turned to a dangerous mixture of fear and disgust.

Xeven had whisked Tevelle away before the first spells hit. Back then Tevelle had been new enough that the spells would have hurt.

The sound of tearing paper drew several glances. Tevelle tossed the remains of the  _Prophet_  onto the table in disgust.

" _I will go speak to Hagrid. You need to be on your way to class."_ Xeven's tone left no room for discussion.

Grumbling, Tevelle did as ordered. It was the first class of the new term and Tevelle doubted she would be able to concentrate. History of magic was dull at the best of times.

She arrived at the classroom long before everyone else, even Binns was nowhere to be seen. Tevelle pulled out a sketchbook. There was no use in even trying to pay attention. It was going to be a long morning.

The creak of desks and the scrape of chairs woke Tevelle from the stupor she had fallen into. For some reason Binns' recitation of one of the many goblin rebellions was far more dreary than usual.

 _Xeven should take up teaching again,_  the foggy thought drifted through Tevelle's not quite awake mind.  _I'm sure he could share a much more lively account of the third goblin rebellion and the uprising of 1643. He was probably there too._

The thought entertained her out into the snow and all the way to Care of Magical Creatures, where a gray-haired witch was waiting for them instead of Hagrid. Behind the crowd of students was Hagrid's hut, shutters closed and curtains drawn. Through a crack in the shutters, Tevelle could see a familiar dark shape. Xeven was still talking with the half-giant then. No doubt Xeven had been since breakfast, likely making very little progress in consoling the man.

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," the witch introduced herself as soon as the entire class had gathered, "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

Tevelle frowned. It did not take her super-human senses to feel the delight in the situation of the other Slytherins. Tevelle could nearly smell it on them. Equally strong was the concern of several Gryffindors.

"This way please," Grubbly-Plank continued, leading them towards the paddock housing the massive Beauxbatons horses and then past, towards the forest.

Tevelle's stomach did a curious back flip when she saw the unicorn tethered to the tree and despite herself; she found a small smile curving her lips upward.

Unicorns were special creatures. They were powerful and pure; both revered and coveted by wizarding kind. And despite being a creature wholly of the light, they were perhaps the closest creatures to vampires, closer even than humans. It was all about the blood. Unicorn blood was powerful. One touch of the blood of a unicorn to the lips and you would be saved from death, but cursed to a half-life, condemned to a state of being not completely alive, but unable to die.

Tevelle had heard the exact same words to describe vampire blood.

A soft snort brought Tevelle's mind back to the moment. The unicorn had fixed her with a large blue eye. It regarded her for a second before nuzzling her hand in recognition. Tevelle smiled softly once again and reached a hand out towards the unicorn mare.

Judging by the paleness of her hair, how it seemed bleached even compared to the freshly fallen snow, this unicorn was old, far older than Tevelle.

"Hello, grandmother," she whispered and a long white ear flickered in her direction to catch the sound. "Why are you letting yourself be tethered like this? If you wanted you could break free and be gone in less time than it would take you to stamp one of your golden hooves."

The unicorn shook her mane in answer and reproof. Tevelle nodded. The meaning, though not spoken with words, was clear. It was not a foal's place to question the decisions of her elders. If the unicorn wished to aid the humans in learning, that was her own choice.

"My apologies." Tevelle rested her hand on a white shoulder. She did not even attempt to scratch, stroke, or pet the unicorn. To do so would be both demeaning and disrespectful.

The human females in the class had no such restraint as they gathered around, oohing and ahhhing at the reclusive creature in their midst. For just that moment, Tevelle felt far more apart from her classmates than she had in quite a while. She felt old and knowledgeable surrounded by ignorant children. The unicorn snorted to show her support of Tevelle's line of thought.

For the rest of the class period, she stood by the unicorn's side. Tevelle attempted to drown out the comments of her classmates. It was simple to ignore the inane chatter of her female classmates as they fawned over the unicorn. More insidious was the conversation the boys were having, an argument about Hagrid. Tevelle resolutely tuned them out. She was not going to let their anger ruin the lovely day and the time she was spending in companionable silence with a creature she did not have to hide from.

Soon enough, Grubbly-Plank took the class in hand and described the various magical properties unicorns possessed. She spoke loudly enough so that the boys could hear as well.

"Grandmother," Tevelle whispered after listening to a few minutes of the lecture, "I'm guessing by you're silent laughter, that this witch knows about as much about unicorns as she does about vampires."

The unicorn flicked her ears back and forth in confirmation, eyes twinkling with amusement.

As the class wound to a close and the students started making their way back up to the castle, Tevelle fell behind.

The door to Hagrid's cabin opened before she had a chance to knock. Xeven stood in the door frame, his face stony. His talk with the half-giant was not going well then.

"Professor Hagrid, may I come in?" Vampires did not need to be invited into a home like some legends said, but it was polite to ask permission, and Xeven had always stressed to Tevelle the need for courtesy, especially in the presence of wizards.

 _Wizards already have no need of excuses to create unpleasant tales of our kind,_ Xeven would always say _, therefore there is no need to lend any more credence to such beliefs. If we as a people act beyond their expectations, then the day may come when wizarding kind can see past their prejudice to the truth._

When not in hearing range of any wizards, his words were always blunter.  _There is no need to lower ourselves to their level._

"Professor?" Tevelle asked again when she received no response. Xeven let out a soft, exasperated sigh. Tevelle, taking the hint, stepped across the threshold.

The room darkened considerably as the door swung to a close behind her. Coals glowed dimly in the hearth providing the majority of the illumination in the room. Slivers of sunlight wedged through the cracks in the shudders and curtains.

The distraught half-giant was sitting at the table in the center of the room, staring blankly into a large tankard of what smelled like mead. Tevelle wrinkled her nose. By the red rimming Hagrid's eyes, it was most likely not the first tankard he had poured himself.

A pathetic whine caught Tevelle's attention. Fang looked nearly as depressed as his master. The huge boarhound was slumped in a huddle underneath the table at Hagrid's feet, looking desolately up at them. The poor canine didn't know what to do. All he knew was that his master was so upset that all of the slobbery dog-kisses in the world could not bring him out of his stupor.

"I know, Fang," Tevelle reached down to pat an outstretched paw, "we'll talk some sense into him somehow."

Fang licked her hand in gratitude.

"How long has he been like this?" Tevelle asked her mentor. It would have been polite to speak silently about Hagrid in front of him, but Tevelle had the feeling that Hagrid needed to hear this.

"Most of the day." Xeven answered. "He has slowed down with the liquor though. This morning when I came to see him he was too busy drowning himself to look at it."

"Have you been able to talk to him?"

"I have been able to talk at him. Whether or not he chooses to listen is another matter."

Sighing, Tevelle sat in the chair next to Hagrid.

"Hagrid?"

No response. She took the tankard and moved it across the table. Hagrid simply shifted his gaze to the table.

"Hagrid? Rubeus, look at me." As gently as possible, Tevelle reached over and pulled Hagrid's chin up and around to face her.

"This isn't the end of the world you know."

A flicker of emotion flared in the back of Hagrid's eyes but he did not attempt to move from Tevelle's grasp.

"So they found out that you are a half-giant. Honestly, I'd be surprised if they didn't already suspect. You do tend to tower a bit. Nothing is going to change. Albus knows you, he's not going to kick you out and he's not going to let anyone else try either."

"Of cou'rs it gonna change," Hagrid finally spoke, his voice rough and thick with drink and anger. "No one is gonna wanta be 'round me. I'm dang'rous, a monster. No one is gonna let m' teach their kids, an I'm goin' ter be sen' back to Azkaban. I won' go back. Two weeks was more'n enough lasttime." He reached out for his tankard, but his hand met empty air. Xeven had removed it and very deliberately emptied it into the sink.

"Bastard, I have e'vry right ta drink if I want. An ev'ry reason too! My life is over."

"Rubeus! Stop. You have already had more than enough to drink. You're life isn't over. If you just wait, all of this will blow over in no time. No one cares that you're half-giant."

"They care! They care tha' I'm a monster! Wha they donna care 'bout is tha I had no choice in that matter, unlike you two!" Hagrid yelled as he tore his face away, but Tevelle barely noticed, even when the faint scratches on Hagrid's face from her nails left the scent of blood in the air.

His words echoed in her thoughts, chasing themselves in a circle. With deliberate care, Tevelle set her hand down on the table and laid her fingers out flat. Hagrid barely noticed the flat tone of her voice.

"Well," she said careful to keep her tone neutral. "If that is the way you feel about it, there seems to be little I can do to console you."

By the door, Xeven was so still he could have been carved from granite; his face showed about as much emotion.

Tevelle stood, ignoring Fang's whimpering at her feet. Hagrid, oblivious to the state of the two vampires, was glaring at the embers of the fire.

Without speaking a single word more, both Tevelle and Xeven left Hagrid to his own devices.

The walk up to the castle was quiet. Lunch had already begun so the grounds were nearly deserted.

Try as she might, Tevelle was not quite able to banish the words Hagrid had spoken. He didn't mean it. He wasn't in his right mind. He wasn't thinking. But that was the problem. He truly did mean it, and that was why it hurt so much.

Tevelle had chosen to become a vampire. Whether or not Xeven had had that same choice was something only Xeven knew, but regardless, Hagrid callous words had no doubt hurt the elder vampire as well.

"Did you enjoy your care of magical creature's lesson?" Xeven asked. His voice was as if nothing had ever happened to upset either of them.

"Yes, the substitute somehow managed to capture a unicorn. It was amusing to see what she got wrong when she talked about them."

"Well wizards have a very narrow view on the world. Snow Drift mentioned to me that she wanted to meet you. She was curious what my new foal was like. I suppose this was the easiest way for her to do so."

Tevelle was not at all surprised that Xeven knew the unicorn mare by name. Though there was obviously more to the name than that. Unicorn names were never that short or simple.

She found herself relaxing as she discussed her meeting with the unicorn. She felt it had gone well and could not keep a note of pride from her voice. Xeven gave her a small smile. Eventually, she wound down. They were in the courtyard now.

" _Have you ever heard the theory_ ," Xeven spoke silently now, so as not to be overheard by any nearby humans, " _that the earliest vampires were made from the drinking of unicorn blood and we, as descendants from those first vampires can trace our bloodlines back to unicorn kind."_

They stepped into the bustling dining hall.

_"I will leave you to ponder that. Your blood is waiting."_


	15. Blood and Chocolate

"You're insane." For some reason Pansy was in her room, most likely to visit a friend.

Tevelle straightened the straps on her swimsuit, slightly baffled by Pansy's remark.

"I'm just going swimming."

"It's winter. You'll freeze!."

"It's alright, I was going to run down to the lake. I'll be warmed up first." Tevelle decided it would not be a good idea to reveal that the cold did not have any effect on her.

She ignored the look Pansy was giving her as she pulled on a pair of sweatpants and shoved her feet into her trainers. After shrugging on a light sweatshirt, Tevelle grabbed a towel, some swim goggles, and a few extra hair ties.

More than one confused look was cast her way as she jogged down the stairs and out the common room door.

As she neared the lakes edge, she slowed to a walk so that it would not be strange if she was not out of breath. Krum was supposed to meet her, but there was a good chance that he had already started his swim.

Tevelle let a few more minutes pass by. There was still no sign of Krum.

_Ah well, might as well get started. It shouldn't be difficult for him to find me._

With this thought in mind, Tevelle stripped off her sweats, grumbling when the pants got caught around her feet. She had forgotten to take off her shoes first. What followed was a balancing act that involved one foot lifted up as high as her sweatpants would allow and a fight with some very stubborn laces tied a tad too tight to allow for her to simply slip the shoes off.

_Why do I always do this?_

A sigh of relief escaped her, quickly replaced with a hiss as her bare foot came in contact with the cold ground. Just because cold did not bother her as it did humans, did not mean she could not feel it.

_Now for the next shoe._

The second of the pair came off easier than the first, and before long, Tevelle was able to free her ankles of the sweatpants hobbling them.

_Life would be simpler if I didn't have to pretend to be human._

Holding her goggles between her teeth to free her hands, she pulled her hair up into a messy bun. No doubt she would have to fight with her hair later to get the hair band back out of the tangles, but for now it would be good enough to keep her hair out of her face.

_I wonder if the giant squid wants to play with us today?_

The goggles now securely rested on her forehead. Frigid water splashed against her legs as she waded in to the lake. Waist deep now, Tevelle took a moment to put her goggles on and dove completely under the water. She stayed near the surface as she swam with sure strokes toward the ship. While she was not worried about merpeople and grindylows who might see her, at the rate her morning was going something would go wrong, most likely resulting in offense and then some form of injury to either party.

As she neared the ship, Tevelle made sure to break the surface more often and at regular intervals, just in case one of the Durmstrang students was watching. Krum still was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he was still on the ship.

Making sure she did not forget the pretense of taking a deep breath, Tevelle dove down into the water, as deep as she could go and opened her eyes. The water was murky and dark this deep, the light from the sun only dimly penetrating the depth of water, casting a blue-green cast to her surroundings. Thick water grasses and weeds covered the lake bottom. Hornwort and pondweed tangled around her ankles, the slick leaves offering a strange combination of a slimy and tickling sensation.

Tevelle let out a sigh, bubbles of air trickling upwards. There was no sign of the giant squid. Even if the squid wanted to play, there was no way it would know that it could if Tevelle couldn't find it to offer.

The last bubble that had caught itself in her hair finally struggled free to start drifting up towards its fellows. Tevelle felt the need to sigh one more time, but no longer had any air in her lungs.

_Better swim up before someone thinks I've drowned._

With a strong push with her legs off a strategically placed rocky outcrop, Tevelle kicked her way to the surface. Only several feet from breaking the surface there was a splash and something large and bony barreled into her.

It took her a moment to work her way free of the tangle of limbs, wondering idly how much that would have hurt her skull if her bones had been as fragile as a humans'. Her head and upper body ached dully from the impact. Hopefully whoever had decided to dive on top of her would not have any broken bones.

_This just isn't my day._

"Bloody hell! Don't you look where you're diving?"

A rather dazed Viktor Krum looked back at her. "Sorry. I did not see you."

His words were careful, almost as if he was unsure he could speak without his accent mangling the meaning. Limbs moved sluggishly as he treaded water, trying to stay afloat.

"Alright, we had better get you out of the water and checked out."

Krum agreed fuzzily. Tevelle wasted no time. Diving under him slightly so she could support his upper body on her shoulder to keep his head up, Tevelle situated herself so that she could keep him in the right position with a hand around his waist. She then started the slow and ungainly journey towards the shore.

Compared to their swim to the shore, the trip up to the castle was relatively easy. After a brief respite on the pebbly ground to collect her things and drape the sweatshirt around Krum's shoulders while he caught his breath, Tevelle hoisted him up by the waist again so that he leaned on her. Now that they were on solid ground, Krum was able to stumble along with her. Still, despite this, Tevelle was very grateful for her vampire strength and that Krum was too addled to notice the discrepancy.

"What happened?" Madame Pomfrey greeted them with the hurried question. Without waiting for an answer, she rushed over to assist with getting Krum into a bed.

"He dived off the ship and landed on me. I think he might have a slight concussion."

"In Merlin's name! Why were you swimming at this time of year?" She looked at Tevelle sternly. "Never mind. Are you injured?" Another stern glance was cast in her direction, flavored with disapproval, "No, I suppose you wouldn't be."

Tevelle finished removing Krum's shoes as he lay back before stepping away from the bed. Madame Pomfrey was in full healer mode, and if there was one thing Tevelle knew, it was that you don't get in the way of a healer or you'll end up getting trampled.

"Off with you then. I have everything under control." Madame Pomfrey's tone was brisk, but not unkind.

Accepting the dismissal, Tevelle started making her towards her dormitory. She would remember to collect her sweatshirt from Krum another time.

Twenty minutes and a quick shower later found her dry and clothed. Her hair remained a tangled mess, but it was no longer dripping down her back. She would deal with the tangles later.

An excited shout down in the common room reminded her that the day was still quite young and it was a Hogsmede weekend.

_Might as well go. My chocolate supply is running low._

Destination in mind, it was a quick matter to collect her wallet and coat.

Honeydukes was packed by the time Tevelle arrived. The scent of human sweat and perfume mingled with the scents of any variety of sweets and candies. It was not a completely unpleasant smell, but it was pungent enough to make Tevelle crinkle her nose.

_Better make it quick. In and out._

Pushing through the crowd, she started gathering selections. Chocolate frogs joined the pile of chocolate bars in her arms to be followed by fudge flies. Tevelle was reaching out for a chocoball when someone shoved her from behind.

Chocolates spilled out everywhere.

"You have got to be kidding me." Tevelle turned. "Hey! Who did that? You had better help me pick these up."

No response. A few curious glances were cast in her direction, but whoever had jostled her had disappeared back into the crowd.

"Lovely, absolutely splendid." Grumbling, she stooped down to scoop up the candies.

Once that task was done, Tevelle shoved her way through the crowd to a slightly more open space next to the display of cockroach clusters, blood-flavored lollipops, acid pops, and several other more unusual treats. A quick glance around ensured that all wandering eyes were otherwise occupied and as subtly as possible Tevelle added a number of blood-pops to her selection.

Selection complete, Tevelle headed towards where the end of the line for the register was. Or where she thought it was anyway. It only took several groups of people for her to realize that a different line had formed in the opposite direction, bypassing her completely.

_Am I invisible or something? I don't know how to make it more obvious that I am waiting, and have been for far longer than they have._

Tevelle, seething quietly with frustration, shoved her way into the end of the now substantially longer line. She paid for the slightly over priced candy and fled the crowded shop as quickly and with as little fuss as possible.

Where to go next? The Three Broomsticks? No, that would be far too crowded, filled to the brim with whiny over-excited teenagers. On top of that, Tevelle was not in the mood for butterbeer, no doubt the only thing Madame Rosmerta would be able to give her among so many prying eyes. A creaky sign caught her eye further down the street, looking particularly weathered and run down. Tevelle spun on her heel and started walking in the opposite direction. The old, broken sign had given her an idea.

The Hog's Head was nearly deserted, exactly as she had suspected. Very few students, if any, would know to walk down that dingy side street to find this equally dingy and shabby building. If they did stumble into the Hog's Head by accident no doubt they would feel far from welcome. A few of the regulars sat at the bar. A man whose entire face was concealed with bandages, some of them stained with an odd rust color that looked very similar to blood, nursed a large tankard of something thick and the color of pond scum. The red-brown spots on the bandages were not blood, Tevelle could smell a mixture of dirt and possibly spices, but a student would not know that. An old hag dozed in a booth in the corner.

Tevelle smiled. A regular student might take one look at the ominously quiet room and make a run for it. Tevelle felt right at home. She turned her grin in the direction of the bar-keep whose hands had stilled their action of polishing the grimy countertop with a rag that had seen better days.

"Aberforth!"

"Been a long time, Tevelle." Aberforth smiled a crooked smile, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling up.

That was the understatement of the century. Xeven had known the Dumbledore family before several tragedies split them apart. As a result, both Albus and Aberforth would visit the Coven frequently, though never together after Ariana's death.

It had been shortly after Tevelle had been turned that she met Aberforth for the first time. Still new and reeling with Tom's betrayal and her new circumstances, she had been surprised when a human, and an old one at that had, instead of cringing away from the dangerous fledgeling vampire who was no where near in control enough to restrain from killing him, had simply looked her up and down and turned to Xeven.

"Old Albus has got to be kicking himself over this. Not only does a student get killed on his watch, but you have the audacity to Turn her." Then the old man had laughed.

Later, when both he and Tevelle had calmed down, he introduced himself simply as Aberforth. It was not until later, after he had left, that Xeven informed her that Aberforth was her former professor's brother. Over the years a sort of friendship had formed between them. Aberforth was so much more approachable than Albus, who was always a reminder of what had happened at Hogwarts.

Tevelle had barely seen Aberforth at all for several years.

"I know; I've been busy. It's good to see you." Tevelle took a seat on one of the barstools, placing the good-sized bag of candy at her feet.

"You as well. Is that a Honeydukes bag I see? You are aware that they blood-pops they make have a higher level of glucose than is usual. Xeven will be less than pleased if he has to scrape you off the ceiling because you high off sugar." The rag disappeared and out came a cleaner than usual glass tumbler.

"Wow, clean glassware. You're spoiling me." She smirked at him and he grumbled in return. They both knew that he only used the dirty glasses to discourage customers he did not feel belonged to leave. They also both knew Tevelle was avoiding the question.

"What Xeven doesn't know won't hurt him."

Aberforth merely fixed her with a stern look that said 'be it on your own head. Do not say I did not warn you' as clearly as if he had shouted it. Aloud he simply continued, "What'll it be?"

"Hmm, you know I'm not really sure. Maybe firewhisky, I've been having a rubbish day, everything seems to be going wrong."

"I just got a new shipment of blood spirits. Blood rum and brandy mostly, perhaps some whisky. And I think I might be able to scrounge up some blood-wine if you are in the mood for something milder."

"Blood-brandy sounds good."

"Blood-brandy it is."

The next ten minutes or so passed in companionable silence. Aberforth had brought out the rag and was back to polishing his counter. Tevelle merely sipped her drink, content to let the burning liquid slide down her throat. If a stranger saw her now, no doubt they would be appalled that a child would be drinking such strong alcohol. Tevelle however, was not worried. It took far more alcohol than this mere pint or so to get a vampire even tipsy. She was not even sure if a vampire could even get drunk; Tevelle certainly had never seen it happen. She liked the feeling of the alcohol though.

There was a crash behind her. Tevelle spun around, accidentally knocking her own drink in the process. There was the slosh of liquid on her hand and the sound of broken glass. Ignoring her own mess for the moment, Tevelle looked to the source of the original noise.

The old hag who had been sleeping in the corner had shifted, pushing her tankard perilously close to the edge of her table. One leg extended outward, foot tangled with the rungs of a wooden chair that had been set at the table nearby. The heavy chair had fallen, creating that loud bang.

Now Tevelle looked at her own problem. Glass sprinkled on the floor, and dark red-brown brandy had spilled all over the counter. Some of it still dripped into the small puddle on the floor. The monster in her stirred, far less than pleased at the wasted blood, even if it had been strongly diluted by the brandy.

With a soft thud, Tevelle dropped her head onto the bar counter. "This really isn't my day, is it?"

Wordlessly, Aberforth made a quick motion with his wand and the glass reformed seamlessly. There was no saving the brandy, however.

There was a light  _thunk_  and Tevelle looked up from where she had buried her head in her arms. A refilled tumbler of blood-brandy sat on the counter in front of her.

"It's on the house. That first one, too."

Tevelle gave Aberforth a grateful smile.

By the time Tevelle was ready to leave she was feeling better for the alcohol, and even more for Aberforth's kindness. On a whim, she asked him if he had any raw steaks in his stores. The Hog's Head was an inn as well as a tavern. Surely he had some meat for meals. And Tevelle was long overdue for a visit with the thestrals. With an understanding smile and a nod, Aberforth disappeared into a back room for a moment before appearing and presenting her with two wrapped packages. The smell of fresh, raw meat was unmistakable.

"I'll pay you back for these."

Aberforth had simply told her to give the thestrals a pat for him.

About an hour's walk later, and standing at the edge of the forest, Tevelle had a problem. The thestrals were deep into the forest. This would not normally be a problem, but the glade they had chosen was quite a distance into the territory the centaurs claimed as their own.

Vampires and centaurs did not get along; or rather, centaurs did not get along with vampires. To the best of her knowledge, vampires had never done anything to warrant such dislike. Though centaurs had long memories, perhaps some vampire long ago had offended one of them. Whatever the reason for the grudge, Tevelle did not feel like a confrontation at the moment, not with the way her luck had deserted her.

 _Now, what to do with all this meat?_ She couldn't just walk into the castle with it. That would draw too much attention. She couldn't bury it or throw it away; that would be a waste. And it was getting late enough that she did not particularly want to walk all the way back to the Hog's Head.

A glimmer of light from the window of Hagrd's hut caught her attention, sparking a thought.

_I haven't seen Aragog in a while, not since I was still at school. I wonder how he's doing. Probably worried about Hagrid._

Mind made up, Tevelle stepped into the forest and followed the scent of spider. The walk was longer than she expected, having to take the long way around and skirt the centaur's domain. Eventually she stopped.

Before her was a good-sized clearing covered almost completely with webbing and spider-silk. At the center of the clearing sat a huge Acromantula that could only be Aragog.

"I see you got some warning I was coming. One of the kids?"

Aragog made a clicking sound with his mandibles, the spider equivalent of laughter. Eight huge eyes looked at her steadily as she approached. Tevelle had no fear of being eaten; vampires were not quite a tasty meal.

"I brought some meat. I know its not even a snack. It was originally intended for the thestrals. I wanted to see how you were doing, though, so here I am."

"Thank you, friend. How is Hagrid? He has not been to visit in some time." As Aragog spoke, he took one of the now unwrapped steaks carefully from Tevelle's outstretched hand.

Tevelle grimaced. "Not well, I suppose. The entire wizarding world just found out that he has giant blood and he is not taking it well. I don't know why it would be such a shock, it's kind of difficult to miss just by looking at him."

"Hagrid has always been sensitive about his differences." Aragog answered diplomatically, finishing up the second steak.

"How have you been? How's the family?"

"I have fared well. My family is large and my children strong. There is ample meat and territory in this forest so that I do not have to worry about their needs. And Hagrid usually comes to have a chat once a week."

"I'm glad you're doing so well. You've changed quite a bit since I've last seen you."

"So have you. When did you make the transition?"

Tevelle bit her lip at the uncomfortable question. "Shortly before you were blamed for the deaths in the Chamber of Secrets."

Aragog settled closer to the ground and Tevelle took the unspoken invitation to join him.

"Much changed that year." His tone was quiet, almost wistful.

Then they sat in silence. There was no need to talk; everything had been said.

Finally, Tevelle stood. It was time to go. "It's getting late and I have to get back to the castle. I'm a student again, and students aren't supposed to be out late, let alone out late in the Forbidden Forest."

"Farewell then, Tevelle, I am glad you came to visit."

"As am I. I'll let Hagrid know you've missed him."

With that, Tevelle started the trek back to the castle. The walk back through the woods was faster and when she reached the tree line she realized it was not quite as late as she had thought. It was still late though, and Tevelle still had her bag of Honeydukes.

Voices filtered out through the window as she passed Hagrid's hut. Remembering her promise to Aragog, she stopped, wondering if she should go in and fulfill it.

Another voice spoke, this one more recognizable. Harry Potter. Then Ron and Hermione spoke as well, and finally Dumbledore's voice could be heard. It was probably not a good idea to go in then and reveal she had just been in the forest talking to an Acromantula.

Then Hagrid spoke, and Tevelle forgot her agreement with Aragog.

That hypocrite! What she had heard of Harry's and Dumbledore's words had been almost exactly the same was what Xeven and she had said to him. And Hagrid thanked them, everything suddenly better.

Tevelle almost barged in right then, ready to confront Hagrid. But Harry was talking again, and she stopped herself. She couldn't blow her cover now. Fuming, Tevelle stomped up to the castle.

_What a perfect ending to my day._


	16. Inner Nature

Tevelle popped her last piece of blood-candy in her mouth as she walked out of the great hall. The spoils of her hunt the day before had disappeared far too quickly. Idly, Tevelle tried to account for all of the pieces she had eaten the night before and this morning, just in case she had lost one or still had one left. Nope, she had really eaten all of them.

 _Well so much for replenishing my supply._ The wry thought twined through her mind to be blotted out a second later.

" _Tevelle, are you finished with your breakfast?"_

_"Yup. What is it, Xeven?"_

_"Come to my quarters. I have just received a chess set that I asked Aria to send me. It has been a while since we have sat down to play a game."_

_"You just want to prove that you can still wipe the floor with me. You know I'm rubbish at strategy games."_

_"Practice is all you need. How else are you to gain skill if you do not practice?"_

_"I hardly call getting slaughtered by a master practice."_

_"Nonsense, you have already improved vastly since our first game."_

_"Riiight."_ Tevelle rolled her eyes, greatly confusing a first year across from her.

" _Regardless, I expect to see you presently."_

_"Alright, let me just drop some stuff off in my room first."_

Tevelle sighed. She had planned to curl up somewhere with a book and possibly some homework. Ah well. At least chess with Xeven was always entertaining.

After abandoning her bag in her dorm, Tevelle made her way to the tower Xeven was staying in. It was not terribly far and Tevelle made good time. Tevelle was almost there when she started skipping, springing from one foot to the other. Catching herself just before arriving at Xeven's door, Tevelle forced her rebellious feet to a standstill.

 _Uh, oh._ The extra glucose in the blood candy Aberforth had warned her about was kicking in. Tevelle meant to walk the rest of the way, but instead her treacherous body carried her into a leaping turn, covering the distance in a single bound. Upon landing, Tevelle tried her best to bring herself under control. Xeven was  _not_  going to be amused if Tevelle barged into his room with song and dance, no matter how tempting it was. The last time Tevelle had been hyper like this the rest of the coven had not been able to decide whether to sell tickets or lock her in an out of the way closet.

" _The door handle is not going to bite. Feel free to enter."_ Xeven admonished silently, having sensed Tevelle's presence.

Forcing one last calming breath, Tevelle opened the door and walked in. She paid special attention to keeping to a steady walk instead of skipping.

The room she had entered was a lavish sitting room, only slightly smaller than the common area of the Slytherin dorm. Bookcases lined one of the far walls. Another wall to the left had a thick oak door set into it and a large fireplace that could easily fit several people standing straight. At the moment a cheery fire occupied the grate. The orange and yellow flames licked the bricks and flicked upwards towards the chimney. The wall to the right was completely covered with a huge tapestry depicting a wide array of stylized animals wrapped into a celtic knot. Hardwood floor layered with thick carpets spanning nearly from wall to wall cushioned her footfalls. The room was lit brightly by a sky-light aided by a good number of wall sconces and standing lamps. Furniture dotted the room in an almost haphazard fashion. A thick-cushioned couch and several matching armchairs created a sitting area by the fire and another nook had been formed by another couple of armchairs in a corner by the bookshelf. In the center of the space was a solidly built circular table flanked by four wooden chairs. The wood of the table matched the floor and bookshelves almost exactly.

It was at this table that Xeven sat, setting up a game of chess.

"Cozy place you've got here." Tevelle said, slipping off her trainers and placing them by the door.

"Albus has been more than generous with my accommodations." Xeven said, gesturing to the chair opposite him in a silent invitation.

Tevelle sat, curling her legs up under her in a vain attempt to keep them still. The rush of energy still had not dissipated and had even become more intense with Tevelle's efforts to contain it. Her toes curled and uncurled. It was better than tapping her foot at least.

Silently, Xeven held out two clenched fists, a pawn in each. Tevelle tapped his right hand.

"White. Ugh, I hate going first. I never know how to start."

Xeven smiled lightly and turned the board so that the white pieces were in front of Tevelle and the black in front of him.

"Whenever you are ready, little bat."

Grumbling, Tevelle picked a pawn at random and moved it forward two squares.

Expressionless Xeven made his first move. The game had begun.

"Why did you send home for a chess set? I'm sure there is an extra set around the castle somewhere. At the very least Albus would have let you borrow his."

"That would be true. Unfortunately, all of the sets in the castle are quite wizardly. I prefer the muggle version of the game. It becomes distracting to have the pieces argue back."

"I suppose that makes sense." Tevelle shifted in her chair, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs.

Time seemed to slow as the game progressed, dragging out between turns then suddenly speeding up when movement was required. Soon enough, whatever strategy Tevelle had started out with dissolved into haphazard and arbitrary leaps. Xeven in turn, seemed to spend increasing amounts of time thinking out his next move. Tevelle briefly entertained the idea that it was becoming harder for Xeven to rework his plan and compensate for her slapdash moves. A second later when Xeven captured yet another one of her pieces, Tevelle reassessed her idea. Her unpredictable lack of strategy had not hampered Xeven at all.

Soon enough, Tevelle found her mind wandering, unable to remain focused on the game. She unfolded and refolded her legs once again, turning her attention to Xeven who had fixed her with a bemused stare.

"What?"

"It is your turn."

"Oh!" Choosing a piece at random, Tevelle prepared to make her move, only vaguely realizing she had inadvertently managed to be able to capture one of Xeven's pawns. "Hah! Take that!" Tevelle nearly shouted as she slammed the piece in her hand down on the board, knocking several pieces surrounding her target in the process. "I am on fire today!"

Xeven raised an eyebrow. "Did you eat a blood-pop from Honeydukes?"

"What gives you that idea?" Tevelle just barely caught herself before she broke into a victory dance. Such a celebration would be highly inappropriate as she was still losing quite spectacularly.

"The dancing for one. You are far too energetic."

"I'm just embracing my Hufflepuff nature!" Tevelle sat down in the chair, this time trying her hardest to sit still. The tapping of her foot betrayed her.

"How many did you eat?"

"Uh…"

"That is not a number. How many?"

"Umm….. three or four….. maybe five."

A stern glare was Xeven's response.

"Eight or nine…. I think….. I lost count after the first couple."

Xeven merely sighed.

Tevelle braced herself for a scolding but was saved by a knock on the door.

"You may enter, Albus."

As the wizard entered, Xeven fixed Tevelle with a look that spoke as clearly as if he had shouted. He was not finished with her.

"Dear me, I hope I was not interrupting anything." Dumbledore looked at Xeven questioningly.

"No, not at all. What brings you here?"

"I simply wanted to apologize to you on behalf of my groundskeeper. What Hagrid said to you was rude and out of line. It was said out of hurt and fear and I am sure Hagrid did not mean to upset or alienate you in any way."

Xeven was silent for a moment and even Tevelle managed to hold still.

How Dumbledore had found out what Hagrid had said to them was a mystery, but she let it slide. Tevelle doubted Hagrid felt apologetic at all if he even remembered what had been said. Yes those words had been said out of hurt and fear, but that was what made them all the more hurtful. Hagrid was not in a state to say anything but what he had truly thought and felt.

"Very well." Xeven did not say he accepted the apology, but he had offered the opportunity to move past it. It was clear from his tone that his thoughts ran in a similar path to Tevelle's.

Another brief moment passed, and all the restraint Tevelle had broke. She leapt out of her seat and half skipped half twirled the foot-long distance between her and the table. The scattered pieces were looking sad. They needed to be placed back in their proper places. Enthusiastically, Tevelle lifted a knight into an upright position.

An amused smile crossed Dumbedore's face at her antics.

"Leave it, Tevelle. Go run around the castle a few times to work off that energy. This game is going to end up scattered across the room at this rate." Xeven's tone was stern, but a wash of affection underlay the words.

"Alright!" A quick leap and a sashay carried her over to the door and her shoes. She struggled with the laces for less than a second for giving up and discarding them. "Eh, I don't really need shoes. I'll come pick these up later."

She did not even wait for a confirmation before she was out the door.

"What is she so excited about?" Albus's voice echoed down the corridor.

Xeven chucked. "Oh, nothing. She is simply 'embracing her Hufflepuff nature."

"Ah, yes. I had almost forgotten she was sorted into Hufflepuff the first time around."

Apparently, running around the castle, even indoors through the corridors (or perhaps especially through the corridors), without shoes was unusual. She garnered many stares and startled exclamations as she sped past. She did not confine herself to just running either. More often than not she was twirling, leaping, sliding, and jumping. Once or twice in the more deserted corridors Tevelle would complete a cartwheel or two. At several points Tevelle was distantly aware of house points being taken off by several professors, but she did not catch exactly how many.

Gradually, Tevelle slowed down. Not for lack of energy, though, but instead for lack of corridor.

"On to floor two! Now where did those stairs run off to?" Tevelle crowed, not really talking to anyone in particular. "Ah! There you are, you wily stairs. Why can't you stay in one place? It would make life simpler. Though I suppose then it would be boring for you. Ah, never mind move wherever you want. Can't have a bored staircase, now can we?"

"I am sure the stairs appreciate your concern." A dreamy voice called from the top of the stairs. "It must be terribly dull for normal staircases who don't move."

"Luna!" Tevelle shouted, leaping the remaining steps and nearly knocking over the girl with the force of her hug.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in forever. And last winter you left the ball without saying goodbye!"

Luna smiled, her eyes focusing a little more and losing some of their normal almost glassy with distraction expression. The Lovegoods were family friends of the Coven, the Quibbler being one of the few magazines Xeven would read regularly. Luna herself had been periodically visiting with her parents since she was a small girl. And it was to the Coven that Xenophilius and Luna had fled to after her mother died and their house had too many painful memories and ghosts.

"The wrackspurts were particularly agitated that night." Luna offered in explanation.

Tevelle smiled. While she did not believe in half the creatures Luna talked about, there were a few instances where the Lovegoods had been right, so she was inclined to give the girl the benefit of the doubt. Who was she, a magical creature herself, to judge?

"Well, I'm glad to see you now!" Energy was once again rushing though her veins and taking Luna by the hands, she spun the two of them in a circle.

Luna laughed, radish earrings flying. Blinking dizzily when they stopped, the Ravenclaw wiped at her eyes.

"Hey!" a voice called down the corridor, "What are you doing, Slytherin?"

Tevelle blinked. Ron Weasley, looking quite pink in the face and very annoyed was storming down the corridor. Had Tevelle done something to offend him?

"Spinning her, of course. What did it look like?"

"Leave her alone!"

Tevelle tilted her head. "I think you've been mistaken. She's my friend and I was excited to see her."

"Slytherins don't make friends with other houses."

Tevelle shook her head. She was not in the mood for an argument.

"Moving on, can you ask Hermione what is happening with SPEW for me? I haven't heard anything about it in a while and I wanted to know what she thought about those pamphlets."

This seemed to stun Ron for a moment and Tevelle patiently waited for an answer. Well, what she thought was patiently. The tapping of her foot and Luna's giggling indicated otherwise.

"Why would you care about SPEW? You're a Slytherin!"  
"And you," Tevelle quipped brightly, smiling her widest and most cheerful, "Are annoying." She continued after seeing Ron's darkening expression. "What? I thought we were stating the obvious."

Executing a complete pirouette, Tevelle turned towards Luna, quite obviously dismissing the redhead. "Sooo, Luna do you want to run around like a crazy person with me?"

"I suppose it could not hurt."

"Wait!" Tevelle ducked her head, fluffing up her hair. "Just to check, no Nargles?"

"No Nargles."

"Good! Let's go!"

Dragging Luna was only necessary for the first minute or so, after that the girl was quite happily skipping alongside Tevelle. The vampire was careful to keep her speed down so as not to leave Luna behind. Still, leaping and twirling would occasionally carry Tevelle down a corridor much faster than Luna was able to keep up. When that happened, Tevelle would backtrack her steps until the two were even again.

"Do we have a destination?" Luna asked airily, only a slight gasping indicated her exertion.

Tevelle pondered that for a moment. When she had started, there had been no destination in mind, the goal being to simply run and frolic until she could not take another step. Now though, she remembered that Krum still had in his possession one sweatshirt that she should probably reclaim before she forgot.

"The Hospital Wing. Krum hit his head yesterday and Madame Pomfrey probably kept him over night. He has my sweatshirt and I should probably fetch it."

"Alright." Luna did not ask how Krum hitting his head would translate to his possession of Tevelle's sweatshirt like others would have. Tevelle smiled at her easy acceptance. It was not the most common trait, especially among gossipy teenagers.

Luna restrained Tevelle just in time with a gentle reminder that Madame Pomfrey would definitely  _not_  appreciate the doors being slammed open from an over-exuberant entrance. And so, it was with exaggerated care that they slipped into the hospital wing and made their way over towards one of the few occupied beds.

"Do you think he would mind if I just grabbed it and left? I don't think Madame Pomfrey would be happy if we woke him just so I could ask for my sweatshirt back." Luna stifled a giggle at Tevelle's less-than quiet whisper, but shook her head no in response.

"Alright then, here goes."

Balancing on the balls of her feet as if she were a diver about to leap, Tevelle paused a moment, looking around furtively to see if they had caught the medwitch's attention. Good, they hadn't. In one swift move she snatched the garment and dashed out the cracked doors. Luna followed closely behind, fighting to contain laughter.

"Mission success." Tevelle stated with mock solemnity once they were back out in the corridor and around a corner.

At this the careful control Luna had maintained up until this moment broke and she slid down the wall, clutching her sides in almost-hysterical laughter. Tevelle soon joined her.

"How?" Luna choked out between gasps, "Did you ever get sorted into Slytherin?"


	17. Unseen

By the time Thursday rolled around, Tevelle was quite fed up with classes once again. Her days had devolved into a dull routine of meal, class, meal, class, meal, homework, then stare sleeplessly at the ceiling only to start the whole process over again once dawn was peeking over the horizon.

Curled up in a corner of the common room, Tevelle shut her potions book with a controlled slam. The rest of the common space, deserted as it was at the late hour, remained undisturbed.

Tevelle was restless.

A half-finished potions essay glared at her from the end table next to her, but it was ignored. No more work was going to get done until she worked out some of her edginess.

Slipping out into the shadows of the corridor was a simple matter and once out of the dorm, Tevelle let her feet carry her where they willed. It was second nature to keep to the darkest of shadows, embracing the night and the stealthier aspect of her nature.

As she neared the entrance hall, a slight sound caught her ears, and Tevelle consciously sunk even further into the shadows, stepping lightly so that her footsteps were silent to human ears.

Someone else was in the corridor ahead of her, someone not particularly skilled at stealth. Vision told Tevelle she was alone, but she ignored her eyes and focused instead on her other senses. Conflicting odors of strongly smelling soaps tickled her nostrils and the sounds of breathing and heavy footfalls filtered into her ears. There was the rustle of both paper and fabric as well. Sneaking closer, the individual's personal scent mingled with the rest. Tevelle stilled.

"You know, Harry," Tevelle whispered to the air where she estimated his ear to be, "You would fail as a ninja."

The startled gasp was immensely satisfying.

"Who's there?" Harry Potter's disembodied voice sounded in a stage whisper.

Tevelle moved, the movement allowing Harry's eyes to track and notice her form in the darkness.

"Tevelle? What are you doing here? It's late, you'll get caught." As he spoke he pulled a fold of silvery cloth from over his head.

She focused on the strange cloak for only a moment though, the way her eyes slid over it without centering was unsettling. Some type of invisibility cloak, though it smelled odd, with a faint hint of thestral hair in the weave, which was strange as most invisibility cloaks were woven with demiguise hair.

"I could ask you the same, though you'll get caught before me; I actually know how to sneak."

"Wha-?"

"I could hear you all the way down the hallway and I'd have to be nose-dead to not smell all that perfumed bath soap."

Harry's teeth clicked shut. "Oh."

"So, what brings you to this dark and dreary corridor this late at night?" Tevelle tried again, silently berating herself for her harsh words. By his dismayed and slightly lost gaze, Harry obviously was not teased playfully very often.

"I was working out the egg clue for the next task. You?"

"Ah, makes sense. I was just restless." At the boy's accepting nod, Tevelle stepped fully into the torchlight, making a conscious decision to be  _visible_.

They began walking again, this time in what might even be considered companionable silence. They had turned their second corner before Tevelle noticed it.

"Hey, Harry, this is a roundabout way back to the Gryffindor common room. We should have turned left back there."

The stumble and sharp intake of breath were quite telling, even without her enhanced senses revealing his suddenly quick heartbeat. Harry was a terrible actor. "Um-" He stuttered. "I dropped something."

Tevelle shrugged. It made no difference to her which route they took, and Harry's reasoning mattered even less, lie or not. No doubt she would find out soon enough anyway. They were walking down some stairs now, and she only vaguely remembered to hop the trick step.

Soon enough it became apparent that her companion had not.

Harry fell in an ungainly sprawl, one leg sunk up to the thigh in the stair. The golden egg that was his reason for being out so late clattered down the stairs, the heavy metal ringing out, bell-like, with each impact. A flutter of tattered parchment followed the egg.

Tevelle stifled a giggle at Harry's shocked expression. "Very graceful. With that sort of poise it's is a wonder you did not have more dance partners at the Yule Ball." The sarcasm in her voice was plain.

"Shut it!" His tone, however mortified, had a note of mirth. "Now, are you going to help me up?"

There were footsteps approaching, though the faint sound was nearly drowned out by the cacophonous wailing the egg had started up having broken open at the bottom of the stairs. Tevelle reached for where the invisibility cloak has slipped to the floor, flinging it to cover Harry in one smooth motion.

"Tevelle? Wha-"

"Shhh, someone is coming." The boy's heartbeat quickened in fear as he struggled to free his leg. She could feel his imploring eyes look up at her for help but there was no time. The shadows embraced her, and Tevelle brought her body to complete stillness.

"PEEVES!"

Filch had arrived, and Mrs. Norris as well if her nose was not mistaken. The egg quit it's wailing as the caretaker closed it. "This is a Triwizard clue! This belongs to a school champion! PEEVES! You've been stealing!"

The thundering of Harry's heartbeat was echoing in the sudden quiet and Tevelle hoped desperately he did not reveal himself. The two students were soon joined on the stairs. Filch was squinting into the shadows, looking high where he would expect a certain poltergeist. The more astute Mrs. Norris had swept her gaze straight to Tevelle and Harry in turn, fixing on the later.

Cats were better at distinguishing shadows than most, this particular cat especially, but Mrs. Norris acknowledged Tevelle's presence as appropriate and allowed. The boy on the stairs smelling quite strongly of lavender and soap, however, was another matter. Still, the kitten-child was obviously frightened; that was punishment enough this time.

"Filch, what is going on?" Tevelle forced herself to not react, to not even move her eyes to track the newcomer. Snape stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking quite disgruntled in his dark gray nightclothes. His scent was not quite right for someone who had just tumbled out of bed. He had been awake and already quite livid before this little interruption.

"Peeves?" Snape's quiet musing simply compounded Tevelle's observation, "But Peeves couldn't get into my office…"

"The egg was in your office?"

"Of course not! I heard banging and wailing."

"Yes, Professor, that was the egg-  
"-I was coming to investigate-"

"Peeves threw it, Professor."

Snape seemed not to hear Filch, lost in some line of thought of is own, "-and when I passed my office, I saw the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody was searching it!" Now the strange mix on surprise, suspicion, indignation, and rage made sense.

Tevelle fought off a smile. Snape and Filch were close enough now that movement would draw the eye and bring her notice. While that would not precisely be a problem if she were on her own, with Harry near but unseen it would be difficult to not give the curious boy one more strangeness of hers to latch onto.

"But Peeves couldn't-"

"I know he couldn't, Filch! I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break!" Snape snapped angrily, his gaze roaming up the staircase and then back down to where the egg had landed. "I want you to help me search for the intruder…."

They were almost home free. The two adults were leaving now, Filch complaining to a barely tolerant Snape about going to see the Headmaster about the poltergeist.

_Clunk. Clunk. Clunk._

Tevelle cursed silently. Of all the people to come investigate it had to be one of the few humans on staff who could see through invisibility spells. There was also a chance that Tevelle would be spotted as well. With luck, the magical eye Moody sported was still just an eye and without movement to give her away she would remain just a darker shape amongst shadows.

"Pyjama Party is it?"

"Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," Filch wheedled, "Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around and Professor Snape discovered someone had broken into his-"

Snape hissed, "Shut up!"

As the adults argued, Moody turned his attention with casual suspicion to the stairs, his gaze fixing on Harry and only vaguely glancing towards Tevelle's shape. Tevelle remained immobile, not even breathing or blinking, pulling as much of her presence and power into herself as possible. It was unclear if she was successful or not.

"You know I am hiding nothing, Moody," Snape's voice was dangerous now, an edge that caught the attention of Tevelle's more bestial side, "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."

"Auror's privilege." Tevelle could not call the hostile barring of teeth Moody displayed a smile. "Dumbledore told me to keep an eye-"

"Dumbledore happens to trust me."

"'Course he trusts you. Trusting man Dumbledore; believes in second chances. But me…" Moody's tone was malicious, "There are spots that don't come off, spots that  _never_  come off. D'you know what I mean?"

Snape's heartbeat suddenly galloped, and his scent filled with nervousness and regret. A hand closed on his left forearm convulsively. _The Dark Mark_ , Tevelle thought sadly. She knew of the role Snape had played in the first war with Voldemort. It was a hard role, and a scar that would most likely stay with the Potions master the rest of his life both literally and figuratively.

"Go back to bed, Snape. Wait, you forgot something."

Harry, nearly forgotten where he huddled half in the stairs, suddenly panicked. Why would he risk it over a scrap of parchment, unless it was one very special, or incriminating, piece of paper. Hopefully he would quiet down before someone caught on. The display seemed to catch Moody's attention, however.

The moment Snape, recognition in his eyes, reached for the parchment, Moody summoned it with a well-timed  _accio._

"My mistake- I must have dropped it earlier."

Too late, though, Snape had connected the dots.

"Potter." It was just barely too loud to be a whisper.

"What's that?"

"Potter! That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before; I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter and his invisibility cloak!" The potions professor reached out with questing fingers.

"There is nothing there, Snape, but I'll be happy to tell Dumbledore how quickly your mind jumps to Harry Potter.

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that boy! And so am I, Snape…. Very interested…."

Snape lowered his arms, turning to Moody with expertly restrained temper and a credible imitation of calm. "I merely thought that if Potter was wandering around after hours again as is an unfortunate habit of his…. He should be stopped. For- for his own safety."

"Ah, I see, got Potter's best interests a heart, have you?"

Mrs. Norris's frustrated meow broke the staring contest. She had rounds to make still, and this display of dominance was accomplishing nothing.

"I think I will go to bed." Snape said curtly.

"Best idea you've had all night."

After wresting the egg back from Filch, Moody sent the two other staff members on their way. Mrs. Norris followed her human, quite content to give the night-creature and kitten-child a chance to worm their way out of their predicament. She may be a cat, but she was intelligent enough to know Moody's strange eye had spotted what the other human males had not.

"Close shave, Potter." Moody muttered once they were alone.

"Yeah….. I-er…. thanks."

"As elegant as ever, Harry." Tevelle revealed herself, knowing that Harry would probably not know to play along if she wanted to pretend absence.

"Miss Nightshade! I did not see you there." Coming from Moody, the words weighed with extra significance.

"I know. That eye might be magical, but your brain is still human."

Tevelle's explanation seemed to leave Moody baffled still, but she did not elaborate further. Knowing he would get no more from her, Moody turned his attention back to the parchment in his hands.

"What is this thing?"

Tevelle looked over his shoulder. She was curious as well.

"Map of Hogwarts."

"Merlin's beard! This is some map."

Tevelle let out a low whistle. In addition to a moving and accurate depiction of the corridors and classrooms, there were moving dots representing every moving creature in the castle, both living and non-living, labeled with a name. Tevelle bit back a relieved sigh. It would have been inconvenient to explain why she did not show up on a magicked map. She took a closer look, identifying her dot, labeled ' _Tevelle Adair Nightshade'._  Clustered near her dot were two others. Harry Potter and… well that was curious.

 _Bartemius Crouch_.

Not Alastor Moody, as would be expected. Was the map glitching? Tevelle held her tongue, making a mental note to mention this to Xeven. Moody, it seemed, had not noticed incorrect label for his dot.

"Er- Professor Moody, Tevelle, d'you think you could help me?"

"What? Oh, of course."

Still slightly distracted, Moody grasped Harry's arms and pulled. Leg free, Harry took a step onto the next highest step.

"Potter," Moody said slowly, seeming to have forgotten Tevelle once again, "you didn't happen, by any chance, to see who broke into Snape's office, did you? On this map, I mean?"

There was something off about his tone. The suspicion was there, but there was something wrong. And what was with the sudden nervous heartbeat?

"Er- yeah I did," Harry answered, "It was Mr. Crouch."

Moody's reaction was subtle, but violent. Eyes widened, hands clenched defensively, and his heartbeat thundered. "Crouch?" he said. "You're- you're sure Potter?" Tevelle was suddenly glad she had not mentioned the oddity of the name when she saw it. Something was strange with the Auror.

"Positive." Harry seemed oblivious to Moody's reaction.

"Well, he's not here anymore," said Moody.

 _Liar,_  Tevelle's inner beast snarled, but she clamped down on it.

"Crouch…" Moody continued, "That's very- very interesting."

"Er- Professor Moody? Why do you reckon Mr. Crouch wanted to look around Snape's office?" Stupid, stupid, human boy!

Tevelle tensed, but not enough that she would alert the man beside her. Moody's stance had changed in some small way. He was tense, ready to flee or spring or both. An edge had entered his scent as well. She shot a glare at Harry, but it seemed both of the others had forgotten her.

"Put it this way, Potter, they say old Mad-Eye's obsessed with catching Dark Wizards."  _Speaking of himself in the third person, interesting…._  "But I'm nothing –  _nothing_ \- compared to Barty Crouch. " There was something personal in his tone.

Tevelle watched, silently as Harry proceeded to ask stupid, dangerous question after stupid, dangerous question. Had she really been that unobservant of body language when she was a human?

"And now I want to ask you a question Potter."

 _Now_ , Harry was nervous!

"Can I borrow this?"

"Oh! Yeah, okay."

"Good boy… Right bed, now, Potter."

It was only then, when Moody nearly turned into Tevelle that he seemed to remember she was there. His fear spiked, but it was carefully controlled. He fixed Tevelle with a look that was difficult to interpret. The blue eye rolled around to look at Harry pointedly. "You too, Miss Nightshade, I trust you will be able to find your common room in the dark.

Tevelle did not even dignify that statement with a response. It seems none was expected; Moody was already leading Harry off.

"You ever thought of a career as an Auror, Potter?"

"Goodnight!" Tevelle called loudly, annoyed at their rudeness.  _They could have at least said goodnight_ , she grumbled silently.

The Slytherin common room was exactly as she had left it, a fire crackling in the grate and her abandoned potions essay glaring across the room at her accusingly. With a sigh, Tevelle fell into the armchair, even more restless than she had been before setting out.


	18. Water Weeds

"Tevelle." Xeven called and it was not a question.

Closing her charms text, Tevelle answered his summons.

It was her longest free period of the day, although on paper it was officially study hall. She had been hoping to get some of her charms homework done. The banishing charm they had been working on in class was giving her more than a little trouble. Understanding the theory behind difficult subjects had been quite helpful to her in the past, unfortunately  _Achievements in Charming, Magical Theory,_ and  _Charms: What Are They_  had all been equally unhelpful in this particular case.  _Advanced Magical Theory, The Science of Magic_ and  _Magic or Muggle Physics_  were still waiting in a shorter stack to the side. The first was a thick tome brown with age. The latter two, relatively recently published, were most likely going to be more interesting.

Her things should be safe at the Slytherin table while she went to where Xeven waited at the great doors that flanked the Great Hall's entrance.

"Were the explanations in the assigned text not satisfactory?" Xeven inquired once she had reached him.

"Same problem as usual. It all comes down to them finding a new way to say 'it's magic' and they dance around what 'magic' actually is or what exactly it is doing. They must believe that our brains will explode if we try to think to hard about it so they dumb it down for us students. Then most of the time they don't explain how or why it works without breaking the laws of physics. Half these silly wizards don't know what physics is!"

"I suggest you discuss this with Professor Flitwick. I have been told he has done extensive research on the relationship between magic and muggle sciences. Rather, I should say wizard and muggle sciences. Magic can be considered simply another branch of science, and often is by those more adept at their craft."

Tevelle nodded at the suggestion.  _Why didn't I think of that before?_  Now that she thought about it, the last book she had picked out,  _Magic or Muggle Physics_ , had been written by an F. Flitwick. Originally she had thought the name a coincidence since the title overtly did not imply charms. Flitwick, of the professors, was also the easiest to approach and there was never the underlying tension and mistrust. As a not-quite full human himself, he was slightly more…. open-minded.

Making a mental note to decide specifics later, Tevelle returned her attention to the reason for this conversation.

"Need something?"

"Use complete sentences, please," Xeven scolded, but there was no real heat behind it. "The Headmaster has made a request." Xeven continued, his tone critical.

The phrasing brought Tevelle to attention. Xeven only referred to Dumbledore with anything but the man's first name when it was official Coven business. "The Headmaster" implied Tevelle's involvement quite strongly as well as permission for her to input her own opinion on the matter before Xeven made a final decision. If he had already come to a decision on his own he would have simply told Tevelle what he required of her.

"What was it about?"

"The third Triwizard Task is approaching. The task has been determined and all preparations for it made before the start of the Tournament. However, the safety measures put in place were made with the intention of every Champion being of proper age and skill level."

"Which Harry Potter is not."

Xeven nodded. "Correct. As an extra precaution, the Headmaster has asked that I assist in bolstering the safety measures further. The merpeople of the lake, it has been agreed, are to watch the progress of the Champions, but they are not to interfere to lend assistance under any circumstances to ensure impartiality. This leaves a window in which an unprepared Champion may be injured with no chance of a rescue in time. The Judges are in agreement that it would be prudent to have another set of eyes with the ability to act in the event of such an occurrence."

Tevelle had a feeling where this was going.

"Due to our..." Xeven paused as if looking for a word, but a subtle sweep of his eyes indicated that he was scanning for eavesdroppers. "… Circumstances and the particular skills that come with it, Headmaster Dumbledore has requested one of us to lend them our services discreetly."

"That leaves you out. You disappear and fail to watch the task with the judges, and people will know something is up."

"Correct. You, however, have made your indifference to the tournament quite clear. Many noticed at the last Task that you quite obviously preferred to be elsewhere."

Blushing, Tevelle felt the need to defend herself, "It wasn't that I didn't want to be there exactly…."

Xeven held up a hand. "I am aware. I am merely stating how others have viewed it. My point, Tevelle, is that you would not be missed if you were to not be in the audience."

"Oh, so you want me in the lake. I can help out if one of the Champions is in immediate danger and will have to be pulled from the Task."

"Precisely."

Tevelle shrugged. It certainly sounded like a better way to spend her morning than grumbling in the stands staring at the lake's surface. "Alright, I'll do it."

Xeven nodded.

"Have you done anything about what I discussed with you a few weeks ago?" She continued. The first thing Tevelle had done the morning after her nocturnal encounter with one Harry Potter and Mad-eye Moody had been to inform Xeven of what she had seen. That had been the last she heard about the matter, but with the knowledge that Xeven was handling in, she had not thought about it much either.

"I have been investigating it, but as of now, I do not have any conclusive findings." Xeven's tone was firm, making it clear the matter was to be dropped.

"Fair enough. Was that all you wanted to discuss? I still have a lot of work to do and my free period is almost over."

"That was all. I will let you return to your studies."

With a good-humor grimace, Tevelle gave Xeven a swift hug, which Xeven returned stiffly, and walked back to her table.

Tevelle glanced at her watch and bit back a curse. Flipping the pocket watch cover closed with a  _snap_ , she began hurriedly gathering her books, stacking the ones that would not fit in her bag. Her next class would begin in only ten minutes; just barely enough time to transverse the crowded hallways, provided the stairways were in a cooperative mood.

Conveniently enough, Charms was the class she was headed to. And with luck, Flitwick would have enough time after class to discuss theory.

One frustrating hour later, Tevelle was no closer to making the banishing charm work for her. To either side, other students were sending cushions zooming across the room to land neatly along the shelves cleared precisely for this purpose. Her own target, a slightly dusty, plush, red-velour, and blue-tasseled cushion sat mockingly immobile on the desk in front of her.

Modulating her tone had not worked, and neither had changing her pitch. To the best of her knowledge the wrist movements she had been executing was textbook accurate.  _What am I doing wrong?_ _Am I not concentrating enough?_  That could be the problem. While half of her mind focused on the task at hand, the other half occupied itself with trying to figure out how exactly the spell was supposed to work. How could it happen without breaking the laws of physics? Or did it break the laws of physics? If the later was the case, that opened up a whole slew of further questions and problems.

Distracted by her musings, Tevelle barely noticed the end of class. She would not have noticed at all, if not for the movement of those around her as they packed up their things. Instead of following their example, Tevelle wove through the desks to the front of the classroom.

"Professor Flitwick? I have been having trouble with the banishing charm. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind explaining the theory behind it."

For a second Flitwick looked surprised that a student would go out of their way to understand  _theory_. A small smile replaced the look of incredulity soon enough, and Flitwick nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, Miss Nightshade. I would be happy to help." The diminutive professor squeaked.

Obviously the sharing of knowledge was more important than whether or not the recipient was a vampire. Tevelle smiled.

"I understand that amongst vampire Covens it is expected to be educated in both magical and muggle ways?"

Tevelle nodded in response, but Flitwick was already continuing, having expected an affirmative answer.

"Might I assume that at some point during your studies you have grasped at the least a basic knowledge of muggle physics?"

Again, Tevelle nodded.

"Very good! Now, if you remember, for any work to be done a force must be applied. Forces come in a variety of forms but for the most part fall into two main categories: contact and non-contact." Flitwick paused to ensure Tevelle was following and Tevelle reassured him with a smile. "Think of magic as just another non-contact force. A banishing charm is functionally the same as a summoning charm. The only difference is the direction in which the magical force is applied. When you summon an object, a force due to magic pushes up on the object to counter gravity and another force due to magic pushes the object toward you."

"So when you are banishing it there is the force due to magic countering gravity still, but the other force, instead of pushing it toward you pushes the object away?"

"Precisely." Flitwick beamed.

"Alright, I think I get that." Tevelle said, thoughts finally knitting together properly. "But what do the words and want movements do then?"

"The words are simply to help your mind focus on what you want done. In your sixth year, you will begin learning nonverbal spells. This simply means you no longer need spoken words to aid in your concentration. The wand movements direct the magical force you are exerting and determine the direction in which that force is applied."

"Ah. I think I get it now. Do you mind if I try the spell?"

"Of course not."

Pulling out her wand, Tevelle pointed it at the cushion that was still sitting on her desk.

 _"Depulso_." As she spoke, Tevelle envisioned her magic pushing upward on the bottom of the cushion and against the far side pushing toward the shelves lining the side of the room. Without a wobble, the cushion zoomed at a steady place toward its target.

"Excellent!" Squeaked Flitwick excitedly. "Now, be aware that the explanation I gave you is at the basic level. However, it seems to have solved your difficulty. If you have any more questions or wish to discuss this in more detail, feel free to ask. Now is not the time, though, as we are missing lunch."

Tevelle grinned as she moved to pack up her things. "Thank you for the help, Professor!"

"I am glad I could be of assistance."

The morning of February the twenty-fourth was crisp with cold and the sky clear. The stands flanking the shore stood empty, waiting for the spectators of the second Triwizard task. Madame Pomfrey had appropriated one of the two tents, the closest to the water, as her own to serve as the medical tent. The tent slightly further back and closer to the stands was no doubt reserved for the Judges' comfort. A relatively newly constructed dock reached out into the lake. This was where the Champions would begin their Task.

It was on this dock that Tevelle sat, dangling her legs into the water. A merman poked his head up near her right foot, his weed-like hair nearly tangling around her ankle. A scaly arm reached up to grasp the edge of the dock.

 _Haiii_ - _leep_ , Tevelle's mermish companion, was one of the younger adult males in his village. Roughly his name translated to Current-in-the-Water-Weeds, Current for short, but both he and Tevelle preferred the mermish translation.

 _Haiii_ - _leep_  had been assigned to play courier between Tevelle and the mermish village. This would ensure both parties were on the same page if something disastrous happened. It would also mean Tevelle would not have to abandon her post just to double check something with the merpeople. The two of them had been waiting since Dumbledore had made the formalities of the arrangement concrete for everyone involved. That had been nearly an hour before and they still had another hour till spectators began claiming their seats. Another half hour longer than that remained until the Task began at 9:30. Tevelle would be in the water under the dock and out of sight by nine.

 _Haiii-leep_  trilled and shrieked, the sound shrill in Tevelle's sensitive ears. "Do you want a snack? I can go fetch something from the village. We have time." Tevelle's brain translated.

"No, thank you," Tevelle responded, "but if you want something, feel free."

 _Haiii-leep_  screeched a thank you and vanished beneath the water.

With a sigh, Tevelle lay on her back, pillowing her head on her arms.  _That sun is far too bright._ The lovely potion that helped sunlight-adverse vampires function in sunlight without pain was marvelous, but Tevelle still found herself squinting against the glare.  _I wish the Task would just start already._ Tevelle thoughts were fuzzy, the sunlight making her feel drowsy.

"Wake up!" She scolded herself aloud as she sat up. It would not do to fall asleep and be found by anyone who was not to know of this extra safety measure.

"This will help you stay awake."  _Haiii-leep_ shrilled. Tevelle hadn't even noticed his arrival. That alone made her try and shake off the sedative effects of the sun. The merman continued, " _Liel-kaile_  is good for alertness."

Smiling in thanks, Tevelle took the small bundle of green. Several different water plants had been shredded and woven together to create a small envelope. Stuffed in the tiny pocket was a glob of green-white paste that smelled of some sort of root.

" _Liel-kaile_  is the paste. The plant-pocket is also edible though. They taste good together," explained  _Haiii-leep_.

Tevelle took a bite. The plants were salty and bitter, but the  _Liel-kaile_ balanced them out with a surprisingly sweet flavor.

"This is good, thank you."

 _Must be the mermish version of coffee_ , Tevelle mused, feeling a familiar rush of energy.

The remaining time before the task passed quickly as Tevelle asked about various mermish foods. Apparently the merpeople farmed a wide variety of water plants, some of which humans would no doubt find quite distasteful. Grindylows were also domesticated as well as fish. Both grindylows and fish provided meat and eggs. Amphibians and several small reptiles were also hunted for meat, but were not nearly as intrinsic to recipes.

"Grindylows are also good for guarding things. We'll have a pack or so in the fields to chase fish away and keep them from eating the harvest. They can also be trained to call an alarm for intruders." _Heiii-leep_  was explaining. He also taught her the correct whistle to call off a pack of grindylows, just in case.

Tevelle glanced at her waterproof watch.  _8:59 am_ , it read.

"We had better get under the dock. People will be here soon."

The water was achingly cold, but with a vampire's insensitivity to any temperature changes, barring the most extreme; Tevelle needed no wetsuit or warming charm. The simple one-piece suit she wore for her normal swimming excursions was quite adequate.

The half-hour leading up to the start of the task was much more dull than the previous hour. The steady tromp of feet could be heard and felt through the wood of the dock. Unable to chat without being overheard, the two waited in silence, but for the lap of water and the cacophony of the human throng above.

Eventually, the final announcements were made and the starting whistle was blown. There were three nearly simultaneous splashes, and the fourth several moments later.

 _Here we go_ , Tevelle sighed silently, filled her lungs with air one last time, and dove.

"How do you think we should do this?" Tevelle signed in mermish hand-talk.

Sound carries further in water than air and the spoken mermish language did not lend itself well to whispering. So the merpeople had developed two languages. One based on sound and another for when sound would be a problem, hand-talk. This hand-talk was of benefit now. Merpeople were able to create sounds with water they drew in through their gills. Vampires lacking gills, could not use water to produce sound through vocal chords.To create the whistle to call of grindylows, Tevelle would need air. She would not be surfacing for the next hour, so the air she held now in her lungs was all she would get. This limiting factor would have been a problem if not for the hand-talk.

"Follow at a distance and keep alert for smells or sounds?"  _Haiii-leep_  suggested. Unlike Tevelle, he was not limited to hand-talk.

"You pay close attention to those," Tevelle responded, "The water deadens my senses and your nose is better for this than mine. Let me know if you smell human blood. The water is clear enough that I should be able to see well enough to keep an eye on the humans."

 _Haiii-leep_  nodded, a purely human gesture that he must have picked up from watching the students at some point.

As they swam in the general direction of the mermish village, Tevelle tried to broaden and bring her vampiric senses into play. The prana, life energy, of thousands of surrounding life forms shone in her mind. The larger the creature, the brighter their energy seemed. The prana of each form pulsed in time with a heartbeat. She narrowed her focus until she was primarily aware of four human-bright forms and the area immediately surrounding each. If one of the Champions panicked, their heartbeat would increase the pulse of their pranic signature.

"I smell human blood,"  _Haiii-leep_ announced after nearly half an hour.

"I see." Tevelle answered. The prana that was flickering erratically was closer to the village than the others. It was a slightly different overall intensity as well.

"That must be Fleur," Tevelle said, already swimming at her top speed. "The half-veela," she added for  _Haiii-leep_ 's benefit.

They were close enough now that Tevelle could smell the blood as well.

"This is our main hornwort field, the grindylow pack guarding it must have thought she was trying to steal some."

"Well, she's not, and now she needs rescuing. For some reason she isn't fighting them off." Tevelle wanted to sign, but she needed her arms for swimming. Instead she just shrugged her shoulders to show she understood him.

Fleur was fading by the time they made it to her. Tevelle whistled sharply, and the well-trained grindylows disappeared back into the weeds.

"Go tell the other merpeople what is going on. I'll bring her to the surface." Tevelle ordered and  _Haiii-leep_ sped off.

That taken care of, Tevelle pulled Fleur's unresisting and most likely unconscious form around her shoulders and began her journey upward. Vampire strength became quite useful as Tevelle kicked with her legs, her arms too occupied with holding Fleur. Fleur started thrashing as they neared the surface, and Tevelle, recognizing it correctly as an attempt to swim, let the Champion go. She let herself sink slightly, so as not to be seen, but Fleur was far too interested in making it to the surface to notice. Fleur surfaced, spluttering.

 _She'll be fine_ , Tevelle thought,  _just some scratches and maybe some water in her lungs. Nothing Madame Pomfrey can't fix._

As Tevelle swam away to catch up with the other Champions, she hoped that the remainder of the Task was as boring as the beginning.


	19. Unrest

Uneasy dreams brought her sleeping mind back to reality. Tevelle blinked as her thoughts scrambled after the trailing edge of the tangled web her unconscious mind had created. She had a feeling the dream had been important and judging by the echo of danger that remained it was a warning of some sort. She shook her head. She was no Seer. Odds were the dream had been some fantasy her mind conjured up as a reaction to the strange quality of tension that had laced the air all year.

The pressure had not been strong enough to be noticed until recently, but when Tevelle thought about it, she realized it had slowly been building in intensity since the World Cup.

 _Well that's one more thing to add to my list of 'Odd things to tell Xeven that he probably already knows about'_. Tevelle smiled self-indulgently at the title.

She looked over at the clock and groaned. She had overslept. It was still quite early to be up, but now she no longer had time to go for a morning swim and still be able to shower before breakfast.

_At least I can still get a shower. I'm still early enough that I don't have to worry about fighting anyone for the hot water._

Plan in mind, Tevelle rolled to the side, her feet meeting the floor and catching her before she fell completely out of bed.

 _Oh if the Coven could see me now. How incredibly graceful I am, falling on my face before I'm even out of bed for the day_. It was good that no one was around to observe her clumsiness.

Nearly half an hour later when Tevelle was freshly showered and she had set to fighting her tangled hair with a wide-toothed comb, she wondered why she even bothered. Her first class of the day was Herbology, not the cleanest of classes. And in the afternoon she had Potions. While not nearly as dirty as working with plants and soil, the often less than pleasant potions ingredients tended to make a mess; not to mention the smell of the Potions classroom began to seep into clothing and hair. Without a doubt she would be showering once again once her classes for the day were over.

After several particularly painful yanks of her comb, Tevelle admitted defeat. Her hair was passable, and if she pulled it back into a bun no one would notice a few snarls.

"Work gloves, check. Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, check. Ballpoint pen, check. Notebook and extra parchment check. Hopefully I didn't forget something." She shrugged, utilizing the motion to help swing the book-bag's strap up onto her shoulder. If she forgot something she would think of a solution when she needed. If trying to remember something that one forgot ever helped as a reminder, well then that wouldn't be considered forgetting something, now would it?

The practical lesson of the day in Herbology turned out to be more work with the bobotuber plants. One the rest of the class would pay to not be distracted in. Unfortunately enough for them, they were more preoccupied with a magazine article that was being passed around. Tevelle kept herself separate. She did not particularly care what current scandal Pansy was ridiculing with great fervor. Tevelle was far more interesting in preventing her current bobotuber from squirming out of the larger pot she was trying to replace it in. Apparently the plant was not appreciating the different soil.

The girl across from Tevelle should have been paying less attention to Pansy and the article and more to her plant. Tevelle watched with morbid fascination as the girl grasped the bobotuber wrongly and ended up getting a large gob of puss on the crack of skin showing between her glove and sleeve. The girl shrieked, clawing at the area with her other hand, forgetting in her haste that the other hand was still wearing a pus-coated glove.

Professor Sprout responded quickly, magicking away the yellow ooze and rushing the girl off to the Hospital Wing.

Tevelle sighed. The flurry of gossip intensified in the absence of authority. What had previously been whispers were now full-spoken comments flung across the table.  _Typical_ , Tevelle rolled her eyes as she packed up her belongings,  _As soon as a teacher's back is turned. At least this class is almost over._

If she had been hoping Pansy's fascination over whatever article had captured her attention would have died down by lunch, Tevelle would have been sorely disappointed. If anything, the girl's inane chatter and excitement over the article had grown in proportion to the size of her audience. Furthermore, one Draco Malfoy had joined in, fanning the flame.

Snatching her goblet, Tevelle retreated to the far end of the table, soon to be joined by a good number of Durmstrang students.

"Vhat great misfortune of another are Malfoy and his lot extolling this time?" Viktor Krum asked as he reached for a bread roll.

Tevelle leaned forward, looking down the table at where Pansy was leaning dramatically against Malfoy's shoulder brandishing the magazine like a fan. Malfoy's expression was a strange cross between smug and snide resulting in a rather odd looking sneer.

"I'm not sure. I've been doing my best to ignore them."

Krum shrugged, accepting her answer before being pulled into a conversation with his classmates regarding Quidditch. Tevelle was content to keep to herself for the rest of the meal. After downing the last of her blood and snatching a small pastry to eat on the way to class, Tevelle stood, sparing a brief moment to nudge Krum's shoulder to let him know she was leaving. Potions was next and she had to run to the dormitory to switch out her school books before class started.

Regrettably, her detour resulted in Pansy and her entourage arriving outside the Potions classroom first. The group was huddled around the magazine again, sniggering with abandon. Pansy looked up, eyes alight with malicious glee as Tevelle approached.

 _Why is she excited to see me?_  A brief wave of confusion washed over Tevelle before she realized the Slytherin girl had noticed the approach of Harry, Ron, and Hermione several yards behind Tevelle. Tevelle quashed the surge of embarrassment for the mistake. Had she been human, no doubt her face would have been flushed red.  _Good thing I'm not human anymore. Was I always this awkward?_

"There they are, there they are!" Pansy giggled gratingly, tossing the  _Witch Weekly_  magazine towards Hermione. "You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!"

A startled Hermione caught it, but before she could turn any pages, Snape opened the dungeon door, ushering everyone inside for the start of class.

Tevelle took her usual seat near the middle of the classroom and began setting up her supplies. That done she began copying down the ingredients list and instructions as Snape wrote them on the blackboard. Once finished, she titled the piece of Parchment "Wit-Sharpening Potion" with bold letters, underlining the words with several quick strokes. Her tablemate shot her an odd look and Tevelle just shook her head. Tevelle was in no mood to explain how easily mistakes were made when it became necessary to squint through cauldron fumes across the classroom, especially when the intervals between tasks required precise timing.

A snort of laughter from the back caught Tevelle's attention. She turned to see Hermione wave and smile sarcastically at the Slytherins who had no doubt been waiting for a rather different response. Now Tevelle's curiosity was pricked. She didn't have very long to wait. Her attention was not the only to have been caught. Snape had noticed the whispering as well, now that his attention was no longer focused on the blackboard. The class fell silent as the Potions Professor glided behind the still quite oblivious trio in the back.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger, I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor." Something by the table caught his attention. "Ah, reading magazines under the table as well? A further ten points from Gryffindor…." His voice became sly. "Oh but of course… Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings…"

The tense silence was suddenly filled with uproarious laughter. Tevelle frowned slightly, though it seemed she would get to learn what was in the article sooner rather than later. Snape, smiling thinly, had begun to speak again. "' _Harry Potter's Secret Heartache'_ … dear, dear, Potter, what's ailing you now?  _'A boy like no other, perhaps… yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly by suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss_." Snape continued to read, pausing dramatically after every sentence to indulge the laughter of the Slytherins.

Scarlet covered Hermione's cheeks, and Tevelle sent her what she hoped was a supportive or comforting look. Hermione didn't seem to notice.

" _'…Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope'_ ," Snape continued, his voice dripping with condescension, "' _that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.'_  How very touching." Snape rolled up the magazine. "Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter – that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."

Tevelle pushed aside her freshly crushed scarab beetles and reached for the ginger root. As she sliced, a sudden movement near the front of the class caught her eye. Keeping part of her mind focused on mincing the roots in front of her with careful cuts, Tevelle turned her gaze so that the periphery of her vision included Snape and Harry at the front of the room.

The movement that caught her attention turned out to be Snape reaching into his robe to extract a small bottle. He held the crystal vessel out towards Harry, the liquid inside was completely clear, and were it not for a bubble of air near the stopper, the bottle could have easily been empty.

Now that's odd. Through the haze of scents consisting of ginger, beetles, armadillo bile, parchment, ink, and human sweat, there was one spot curiously absent of odor. The potion in the bottle had absolutely no scent whatsoever. The surrounding scents were clear. Snape's robes, while apparently recently washed, had absorbed a myriad of scents from potion making that no number of washes would remove. Even the crystal bottle and stopper had picked up the faintest traces of surrounding scents. It was very uncommon for something to have no scent whatsoever. Even objects that gave off no scent of their own, while apparently odorless to less sensitive noses, revealed traces of scents from their surroundings. Almost nothing had no smell, especially to a vampire's senses. In context that meant this colorless and odorless potion could be only one thing. Veritaserum. Curiosity once again aroused, Tevelle tuned her ear towards the two, hoping to pick up their conversation.

"Do you know what this is, Potter?"

"No."

"It is Veritaserum – a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for the entire class to hear," Snape's voice was no doubt barely audible to a human ear, but to Tevelle the viciousness in his tone was clear. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips right over your evening pumpkin juice." Snape shook the bottle slightly to emphasize his point and the carefully controlled anxiety in Harry's scent spiked. Snape continued after a moment, "And then, Potter… then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."

To Harry's credit he did not react beyond turning his attention studiously back to his ginger roots. Snape, satisfied his point had been made, swept his eyes over the classroom to ensure everyone was working.

Tevelle returned her full attention back to her cauldron, stirring carefully before measuring out the specific amount of armadillo bile necessary for each of the next few steps. The timing for this next portion was crucial, and she decided to save contemplating the conversation she had overheard for later. No doubt there was more to Snape's reasoning than his dislike for Harry. Veritaserum was complicated and time consuming to make, even just that small of a portion. Snape would not utilize even the few drops necessary for such an inconsequential matter as a student pilfering supplies or sneaking about after hours.

 _Stupid, pay attention_ , Tevelle berated herself. She had nearly poured in the wrong amount of bile and had lost count of how many times she had stirred the concoction in the cauldron in front of her.

A knock on the door echoed unnaturally loudly through the quiet classroom.

"Enter," said Snape with casual sternness.

"We need to talk." The voice of the new arrival surprised Tevelle and she lost count once again.

Cursing at the odd shade of orange her potion had taken, she decided that the potion was hopeless and her time would be better spent eavesdropping.

Tevelle turned her attention back to the front where Snape and Karkaroff were talking. Something had spooked Karkaroff, and even without the sharp spike of fear in his scent, Tevelle could not have missed the nervous way he twisted a finger through his goatee or the shifty way he tried to speak without moving his lips.

"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff," Snape muttered, but was interrupted by Karkaroff.

"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me." He was slipping close to the edge of panic and trying to cover it up with affront. Neither Tevelle nor Snape were deceived.

"After the lesson," Snape snapped angrily.

Karkaroff, aware that he could not win, hovered near Snape's desk for the remainder of the class, grudgingly holding his peace. As the rest of the class filed out, Tevelle shrunk into the shadows by the door and carefully slunk her way into an out of the way corner at the back of the classroom. From here she had a clear view of Snape and Karkaroff, but she would not be in the direct eyesight of either. With luck and a bit of skill, they wouldn't catch her snooping.

The door slammed shut and the noise of the students died almost instantly.

"What's so urgent?" Snape demanded in a hiss.

"This." Karkaroff pulled up his left sleeve, baring his inner forearm and shoving it towards Snape. The dark outline of a skull stood out starkly to Tevelle's eyes.

"Well?" said Karkaroff insistently. "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since –"

Tevelle swallowed sharply, she had an inkling what Karkaroff had been about to say. The Dark Mark never heralded good tidings.

"Put it away!" snarled Snape, suddenly peering around the classroom, having finally noticed they were not alone.

"But you must have noticed- " The agitation in Karkaroff's voice made the pitch heighten sharply with panic.

"We can talk later, Karkaroff! Potter! What are you doing?"

"Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor," said Harry innocently, straightening up with a rag in his hand as evidence.

Karkaroff, as if finally realizing his blunder, wheeled and fled the dungeon. Harry, no doubt picking up on the murderous intent roiling off of the Potions Professor was not far behind.

With the final bang of the heavy door, Snape wilted slightly. Tevelle relaxed as well, allowing a small movement of hers to catch Snape's eye.

"I suppose you heard all of that, Nightshade." Snape growled angrily, but the tiredness behind the tone was clear.

"Of course. I saw the mark on Karkaroff's arm as well," Tevelle supplied, seeing no reason to hide. She shoved down on her own anger and discomfort. "It is of no matter to me, however," she continued with a carefully controlled nonchalance.

This surprised Snape. He looked at her intently, his dark eyes boring into hers. Tevelle did not break eye contact. There was no need as Legilimency was not effective on vampire kind. Snape was the first to avert his eyes.

In an odd, exhausted and nearly plaintive voice, Snape said one word. "Why?" A hand clutched convulsively at his left forearm, knuckles white with pain. His scent revealed no small amount of anxiety and anger at allowing his own weakness to show.

"It is of human concern. Vampire kind does not interfere with Human matters unless such matters directly affect Vampire concerns." She explained flatly. With that statement, Tevelle left, allowing Snape to gather his dignity and rebuild his usual shield of a facade.

As she walked, she contemplated what to tell Xeven of this incident. Somewhere deep her inner beast growled and she fought down the sick feeling she always felt when faced with something to do with Voldemort, the monstrous man Tom had become.

It would be best just to give Xeven the straight facts and let the older more experienced vampire make of them what he will. She and Xeven had planned to meet up in Hogsmede the next day anyway, and this was simply one more thing to add to her list of things to bring to his attention.

She would keep her emotions in check and prevent her own personal feelings from interfering with what would soon be Coven business. As a fledgling, she still had a good number of years until she would be included in important Coven matters, and even longer before she was included in Vampire politics, especially policy concerning humans.

The politics where Wizard-kind and Vampire-kind intermingled was usually under the jurisdiction of the Coven Heads and occasionally the Seconds. Very rarely did it filter down to the level of the Coven members and never to the Fledglings.

Tevelle nodded firmly to herself, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. Yes, that was how it would happen.

The next day, as she waited anxiously at a corner booth in the Hog's Head, Tevelle found it much more difficult to box away her tangled emotions.

"You alright there, Tevelle? You look a tad peaky." Aberforth commented as he came by to deliver a mug of blood-wine.

"I'm fine, just a lot on my mind."

Aberforth nodded his understanding, and in an uncharacteristic move, slid into the seat opposite her.

"Is it classes? I'm sure the schedule is still difficult for you, and it must be strange to be sleeping in the hours completely opposite what is natural." Aberforth's clear blue eyes were focused solely on her.

Tevelle smiled at his concern. "The schedule is strange, but the classes aren't that bad as the curriculum hasn't changed all that much since the last time I was here."

"Ah, so it is ghosts and memories then," The clarity of the statement struck a chord uncomfortably close to the heart of the matter and Tevelle found herself taking of a sip of the blood-wine to gather her words.

"I suppose you could say that," Tevelle forced out a wry laugh that she did not feel.

There was a short moment of silence laced thickly with understanding. A small chime on the door rang, heralding the arrival of Xeven and Aberforth gave the hand Tevelle still had wrapped around the mug an understanding pat before standing to greet Xeven. Couched in the simple gesture was the unspoken promise of an empathetic ear.

"What'll it be, old friend?" Aberforth asked loudly in greeting.

"Surprise me, if you would, I am sure a skilled barkeep such as yourself knows what drink I desire far more than I." Xeven answered with a small smile.

Aberforth made a show of contemplation before declaring. "I have recently acquired a plum-wine with more than just a dash of AB positive blood that I believe will be to your liking."

"That will do splendidly, thank you, Aberforth"

With that Xeven took the seat that Aberforth had so recently vacated. Folding his hands and placing them patiently on the table, he turned his attention to Tevelle.

"You're late," Tevelle accused playfully.

"My apologies, Fledgling. I can only hope you have been suitably entertained in my absence." Xeven's tone was flat with mock severity.

"The wait has been a long one," Tevelle continued in the same tone, unable to keep a teasing note out of her voice, "But Aberforth was kind enough to keep me occupied with the task of sampling several of his fine blood-wines."

"Very well then," Xeven said, turning briefly to accept a fluted glass filled with a deep red liquid. "Thank you, Aberforth."

Aberforth nodded before returning to his post behind the bar.

Tevelle eyed the smooth clay mug she had been given and looked at the fine glass that held Xeven's drink. "Why do you get the fancy glass?" She blurted.

"It is a matter of elegance and culture." Xeven answered dryly, swirling the contents of his glass once, giving it a cursory sniff, and a small sampling sip. After a moment of contemplation he nodded and raised his glass towards Aberforth with approval.

"Are you saying you have more class than me?" Tevelle asked, trying to cover her almost false affront with a hasty overlarge sip from her own drink.

"Yes, and I believe you have just proved my point." The teasing would not have been noticeable to anyone who knew Xeven less than Tevelle.

With a spluttering laugh, Tevelle put her mug down and eyed her mentor wryly, "Fair enough," she conceded.

" _What has been eating at you, little bat?_ " Xeven spoke silently, not quite breaking the comfortable silence that had filled the air between them for several minutes.

" _Lots of things. The air has been so tense lately and I can't pin down why._ "

" _That is true. The air is like that before a storm. Something has been brewing, but the nature of that storm whether it be natural or magical, elemental or mortal is difficult to discern."_

Tevelle relaxed slightly, glad that she had not been imagining it.

" _There is something else, yes?_ " Xeven prodded.

" _Yeah, it happened in Potions yesterday_." Tevelle proceeded to explain as thoroughly and concisely as possible what she had witnessed.  _"It probably doesn't concern us, but I thought you would want to be made aware."_

" _You thought correctly. The behavior or Severus Snape and Igor Karkaroff is unusual, and the observation about the Dark Mark is of note. However, as things stand at the moment, events have not reached a point at which we should become involved. We will watch and wait. Be wary, but do not draw any conclusions and we will see how things develop."_

Tevelle nodded, feeling some of the tenseness leave her now that the matter was solidly in Xeven's more capable hands.


	20. Discontent

Time was moving at an odd pace. The two-day weekend had felt closer to two weeks so far as Tevelle was concerned. She was not bored precisely, no, but the seconds ticked by as if they thought they could be minutes, and the minutes aspired to take the place of hours. And instead of feeling relieved after informing Xeven of her observations, Tevelle was antsy. The odd tension in the air induced the sensation of waiting, and she was becoming twitchy with impatience.

She needed a distraction, preferably before the classes of the day started. History of Magic would do nothing to calm her nerves, the boredom of the class would no doubt only contribute to her impatience, and it would be for the best if Tevelle did not attend Care of Magical Creatures while feeling ready to jump out of her own skin. The animals they would be working with would pick up on her jumpiness and, if Hagrid's current lesson were anything like his previous ones, an agitated animal would cause only trouble.

_Calm yourself; there is nothing to be jumpy about._  If only she could convince her nerves of that fact as easily as her mind. Her inner beast rumbled sleepily in response to her agitation and she hastily swallowed a gulp of blood to quell it. She did not want to have to fight herself more than she already was.

Soon enough, the wanted distraction was provided. Over at the Gryffindor table, several large post owls had descended  _en masse_  on some either fortunate or unfortunate student. A chaotic fluttering of wings minutes later revealed a small pile of envelopes in front of a rather flustered and windswept Hermione Granger.

Taking a leisurely sip of her blood, Tevelle settled to watch. This could prove interesting. Further down the Slytherin table, Pansy and her gaggle of friends had noticed the commotion as well and fixed their attention across the hall.

Hermione's expression very quickly shifted from puzzlement to astonishment and finally to incensement. Her blush steadily deepened the more letters she opened, and her movements quickly became sharp with fury. It was quite obvious that the girl was working herself up quite nicely to an indignant rage. The stern frown quickly morphed into a grimace of pain. The astringent scent of undiluted bobotuber pus reached Tevelle's nose seconds before Hermione rose from her seat and rushed from the Hall. The thick and no doubt painful boils coating her hands were difficult to miss. From the corner of her eye, Tevelle saw one of the Slytherin girls wince with sympathy. She vaguely recognized the sympathetic girl as the one who had been in a similar situation during their last Herbology class. Tevelle did note that the Slytherin girl had been very careful to quickly cover her sympathy with a sneer.

Tevelle reached for her goblet once again, having finished her meal. Just in time as well, History of Magic would be beginning soon and while Binns probably wouldn't notice, Xeven would not be pleased if Tevelle were late to class.

In reality, there had been no need to rush. Tevelle arrived first of her peers to take her seat in the empty classroom. Near the front Binns was waiting patiently for everyone to arrive, for once quite attentive to his surroundings. Tevelle gave him a brief wave, which was dutifully returned. Binns was probably one of the only professors that were quite comfortable teaching a vampire. As a ghost, it made little difference whether his students were breathing or not, so long as they attended class and received good marks on their exams. Tevelle always found it refreshing.

Gradually, the class dragged in and once everyone was seated the usual monotone lecture began. The majority of the class was soon sleeping, but Binns continued as if unaware of the inattentiveness of his audience. Tevelle sighed, and rolled her eyes. She had intended to take notes today, but struck by a sudden burst of mischievousness, she decided to draw on her blissfully unaware neighbor's paper. Whenever there was a lull in Binns' lecture she would scribble in the space surrounding her victim's head. First there were ears, then a hat, and then a crown of flowers. She became aware of the increasing number of pauses in Binns' speech and she shot a suspicious look in the ghost's direction. If it were not for the subtle quirk of his transparent eyebrow, Tevelle would have thought it coincidence.

_You crafty devil_! Tevelle smirked at him and nodded her head in a salute. It appeared Professor Binns was not nearly as oblivious as the student body believed. Silently she vowed to pay more attention in History of Magic.

The amusement carried with her through all the way into Care of Magical Creatures. She was curious to what they were going to be covering. Hagrid had announced that they would no longer be covering unicorns and Tevelle smiled. No doubt the young unicorns had had very enlightening lessons with regards to humans and their strange habits, but they had learned all they would and had moved on to other lessons of their own. If anyone looked for them now, they would find the forest curiously devoid of unicorns, or at the very least unicorns that wished to be found.

The lesson of the day, it turned out was a surprising exercise coming from Hagrid. The half giant had cheerfully waited for the students to assemble, no few of which were eyeing the recently churned up topsoil suspiciously.

"I wonder what he has for us today," a Slytherin somewhere behind Tevelle whispered, "What if it's a knarl…. or a pogrebin!"

"I doubt it," another voice sneered, taking advantage of the first's apprehension, "Those are too tame. It's probably a nundu. Careful, if you insult him maybe it'll eat you."

"Stop it, leave him alone," a third voice, a girl this time jutted in. "Anyway, none of us would be breathing if it were a nundu. I wouldn't mind if it were knarls though, they're cute so long as you don't insult them."

"You almost sound excited. The first boy was teasing playfully before adding in a more serious tone, "Just don't let Draco catch on that you actually like this class though. He'll have your hide."

"Don't worry, I know."

The conversation turned to more mundane topics and Tevelle decided to cease her eavesdropping. Idly she wondered what other houses would have thought of what she had just heard. No doubt it would break more than one Gryffindor brain trying to comprehend that not the entire Slytherin house were one of Malfoy's lackeys.

The last few stragglers arrived, interestingly enough Hermione was still missing.

With an excited look towards Harry, Hagrid shrugged and cleared his throat to begin the lesson, directing their attention to the crates at his feet.

"Today we're doin' nifflers." The statement was accompanied by several excited gasps. Tevelle couldn't blame them. Nifflers were known to be a bit of a nuisance, but compared to Hagrid's usual taste they were decidedly harmless.

"Now nifflers are usually considered ta be pests, but they can be darn useful little treasure detectors. They like sparkly stuff. The goblins at Gringotts like 'em for mining gold and the like. Go ahead and take a look."

Pansy, who had wandered forward looking into the crate curiously, shrieked as a niffler leapt for her watch. There was a smattering of laughter as she jumped back and the niffler tumbled back into the crate.

"Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there? I've buried some gold coins. I've a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up the most." As Hagrid spoke, he pointed out the patch of newly turned earth and took a step back so that the students could approach the nifflers. "Jus take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an get ready ter set 'em loose."

Hagrid was getting better at lesson plans Tevelle noted. Each student happily snatched up one of the furry creatures. Tevelle waited till last to grab hers, and it was then that Hagrid noticed the extra niffler. "There's a spare… Who's missin? Where's Hermione?"

"Hospital wing," Harry supplied, "We'll explain later."

Deciding the last niffler would want to have some fun as well, Tevelle snatched up the last two, or rather she held still while the two nifflers leapt into her arms. An elongated snout snuffled against her cheek and another shoved into her collar towards the necklace she had not hidden well enough.

"Count me out of the prize," Tevelle told Hagrid in response to his questioning look. "It's not exactly fair if I have two. If Hermione shows up I'll give her one of them, but until then we don't want the last to be lonely."

Hagrid nodded gruffly in slighly surprised approval and Tevelle made her way to join the rest of the class.

Pulling out of the competition turned out to be for naught. The two nifflers seemed much more interested being snuggled by and investigating Tevelle than digging for coins. The smaller of the two promptly curled up in the crook of her arm for a nap, one spaded claw hooked in the silvery chain of her necklace. The larger contented itself with sitting on Tevelle's shoulder, snuffling at her hair and occasionally licking an ear or cheek.

"I do not sparkle, silly thing. Go find me some real sparklies." Tevelle giggled as a small tongue brushed a ticklish spot. The niffler responded it a sneeze-like sound, making it quite clear that it was quite content where it was. "Alright, alright," Tevelle conceded, "If that's what you want." Reaching up with one arm and careful not to disturb the slumbering niffler, Tevelle caught the larger niffler in an embrace, rubbing a cheek into soft fur. A happy chirp was the response she received.

"Can I talk ter you fer a minute?" Hagrid asked Tevelle once the rest of the class was absorbed entirely in the game. His voice was timid, and immediately set her on edge. The niffler in her arm wined slightly in its sleep and the other snuffled, catching the shift in her mood.

"I dunno, can you?" Tevelle bit at him, more sharply than she had intended.

"Er, I wanted to apologize fer the other night." Hagrid started. Tevelle kept silent, and encouraged by her lack of further protest, Hagrid continued. "I was upset and drank a mite too much. I didn't mean what I said. I'm the last who should call you a monster." Hagrid was nearly rambling now, the words coming out in a rush. "You an' Xeven were tryin' ter help me, 'an I spit in yer faces. Fer tha' I am sorry."

Hagrid trailed off, watching expectantly for her reaction. Tevelle turned towards the larger niffler that had curled against her neck. It did not know what was bothering her, but it felt snuggling would make it better. Tevelle gave it a grateful peck on the top of the furry head.

Did she want to forgive him? It had been weeks since Dumbledore had apologized on Hagrid's behalf, and longer since the offense. A normal person would be over it by now. She  _should_  be over it by now. But when she actually thought about it, a slow burning began in her gut. The beast in her snarled and Tevelle had to force it down. She was not over it. It still hurt, and the hurt mixed with guilt at her inability to let go. She  _should_  forgive, but she did not  _want_  to forgive.

Tevelle wanted to ask Xeven for advice, but he was just beyond reach. She would have to handle this on her own. What would Xeven do? That Tevelle could not answer. Xeven always had strict control over his emotions, and she could not tell if he was still hurt by Hagrid's actions or if he had dismissed them. Tevelle still hurt, however and Hagrid was still waiting for an answer.

"I do not accept your apology." The cold words stunned Hagrid.

"But-"

Tevelle cut him off, "Once you figure out why yourself, then I'll forgive you." Hagrid's claim that he had not meant what he said still did not sit well. The guilt built until Tevelle could almost taste it in her mouth, souring her mood further. Tevelle had always been very good at holding grudges.

With that, Tevelle scooped up the nifflers and walked away, pointedly dismissing Hagrid.

_Xeven would be disappointed;_ Tevelle admonished herself, suddenly wishing forgiveness were easier for her, and that her pride would allow a quick apology to Hagrid.

A niffler licked the tip of her nose, teasing a smile onto her face. Tevelle pushed her less pleasant feelings to the wayside. She would deal with them later.

By the end of the class, the larger niffler had groomed Tevelle to its satisfaction, leaving Tevelle short several bobby pins with her hair fluffed out in disarray. A few other students laughed at the state she was in, and Tevelle couldn't find it in her heart to be anything but amused as she shot them a half-hearted glare.

"I reckon they've nearly got the lot now," Hagrid announced, "I only buried a hundred coins. Oh there y'are Hermione!" Hermione had only just arrived, her hands thickly bandaged. The poor girl looked miserable.

Hagrid quickly wrapped the class up, explaining that the gold was leprechaun gold and would soon disappear and presenting Ron with his prize. Harry, Hermione, and Ron remained behind after the other students left, no doubt to speak with Hagrid under the pretense of helping get all of the nifflers put away Tevelle remained behind as well, largely unnoticed. Her two nifflers seemed quite disinclined to release her and return to their crates.

"What have yeh done ter your hands, Hermione?"

Tevelle eavesdropped unabashedly as Harry and Ron explained the hate mail to Hagrid. Hagrid's advice to the girl was sound, and quite familiar. The grudge Tevelle had been both nursing and trying to dismiss deepened further. While Hermione needed to hear this advice, and it was good advice, the fact that it was  _Hagrid_  who gave it to her rankled and only added to the feeling that the half-giant had not learned his lesson at all. Tevelle quickly deposited the two nifflers in their crates, caught Hagrid's eye in a withering glare, and stormed, stiff-backed, up to the castle. Just at the edge of hearing, Tevelle could hear Hermione inquire as to the reason for the hostility. She did not care what Hagrid answered.

It was not until several days later that Tevelle got a chance to fully work off some of her frustration. Moody had decided to give all of them a hex-deflection assessment in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Xeven had warned her of such things, and Tevelle was prepared. She had made sure to master several deflection and shield charms to guard against any hexes that might be thrown her way. As vampires were affected differently from humans by most spells, and immune to some, it would cause problems when a singing jinx, for example, simply rolled off without effect. The best way to avoid an awkward explanation would be to avoid being hit in the first place. 

"Nightshade, your turn." Moody barked.

Tevelle stood, wand held loosely at her side in a deceptively relaxed stance.

"We'll begin simply and work up to more difficult hexes. Use whatever defensive charms you can think of." Moody explained.

Tevelle nodded.

" _Stupefy_!"

Tevelle merely dodged the flash of light casually, careful to keep her movements within the range of human speed.  _Simple, right,_ Tevelle thought ruefully, _if that's simple I'm human._

" _Petrificus totalis."_

Tevelle dodged once again, to Moody's visible chagrin.

" _Impedimenta_."

This one Tevelle deflected with a casual wave of her wand.

" _Incarcerous_."

Dancing nimbly out of the way dealt with the next spell nicely.

Moody was getting frustrated, and as the look in his eyes darkened, Tevelle decided that perhaps it was time she stopped teasing him. Mouth set in a grim and determined line; Moody raised his wand once again.

" _Confundo! Confringo!"_ The next two hexes were cast in quick succession, forcing Tevelle to throw up a hasty shield charm. The spell-light fizzled harmlessly against her shields, but from the jolt of power they had caused, Moody was no longer playing.

The rest of the class silently watched the battle unfolding, occasionally having to block hexes that ricocheted in their direction.

Tevelle quickly deflected another hex. Moody was using wordless spells now, giving her the distinct impression that he was throwing some of the nastier spells her way. A bell rang, marking the end of their bout. Reluctantly, Moody lowered his wand. A moment later, Tevelle did as well. Not a single hex had gotten past Tevelle's shields.

"Well done, Miss Nightshade." The words were stilted, as if the compliment pained him.

Tevelle gave him a nod in answer and turned to reclaim her seat. A flash out of the corner of her eye and a prickling on the back of her neck was all the warning she got. Dodging quickly to the side, the hex Moody had cast sizzled through the air and missed her cheek by a hairsbreadth. The red light splashed against the wall, leaving an ugly burn mark and pitting the stone.

Tevelle rolled out of her dodge and let her momentum carry her upright into a crouch. One hand was outstretched to cast wandless magic at her attacker as both instinct and the inner beast clawed at Tevelle to respond in kind. She restrained herself, but barely.

The classroom was silent, the students stunned. Moody stood at the front of the classroom, his wand held in a dueling stance. His eyes were wide, as if he had just realized what he had done, and whom he had attacked. Tevelle fixed him with a warning look. The man was lucky Xeven had trained her as well as he had. If Moody had let his anger get the better of him in such a way in any other situation or with a less well-trained vampire, his throat would have been ripped open before he had a chance to blink. No doubt the wizard in zeal had forgotten that while Tevelle was a student and played human, she was still a vampire with a vampire's instincts.

"Constant Vigilance!" Moody finally sputtered in a valiant attempt at regaining control. "Always be prepared! And don't turn your back on a potential opponent."

Tevelle rose slowly and carefully to her feet. There was no need for sudden moves. If Moody spooked she did not know if she were capable of holding back any more.

"Class dismissed," Moody barked after a moment, lowering his wand just as carefully.

The rest of the students fled eager to escape the tense atmosphere of the room.

The door slammed closed, and it was only then that Tevelle spoke. "Careful, Alastor. Do not forget yourself in such a way again. I may not be able to stop myself the next time."

Moody scowled, bristling at being addressed so. "I am fairly certain I could handle you in any case."

"Temper, temper, " Tevelle answered coldly, the beast in her not yet subsided. "Such arrogance and pique will be the death of you. It may be that you can defend yourself against a fledgling vampire, but could you do the same against her sire?" She let the statement hang heavily in the air for a moment before continuing. "What happened to you Alastor, you used to have such better control over your emotions. Old age finally catching up?"

Tevelle was not quite sure why she taunted him. Something about the man just didn't sit right. Prior to this year, it had been a very long time since she had seen Alastor Moody even at a distance, and the man could easily have changed since then. Still, something irked her, though she could not pin it down. And then there was the curiosity with that clever map of Harry's. The map that showed every name in the castle, even hers, but somehow had managed to mislabel Moody.

The man in question was nearly apoplectic, with a face alternating between bloodless and flushed. Tevelle's inner beast growled at the display, and she decided it was time she remove herself before doing something regrettable.

"Good day,  _Professor_."


	21. Of Two Minds

The forest was shadowed and welcoming as compared to the still rather bright evening. The days were lengthening again, unfortunately enough. As a result the sky was still lit with a dull gray glow when Tevelle slipped out of the castle after dinner. For once she had been able to complete all of her homework with time to spare. Tevelle had been meaning to visit the thestrals again for quite a while and this seemed the perfect opportunity.

As she passed by the Quidditch Pitch, she noticed a rather drastic change from the perfectly smooth grass field as was the norm. The turf was dotted with what looked to be the beginnings of massive hedges.

_A maze?_  Tevelle shrugged. There were more creative final tasks, but the idea of a maze had a certain traditional appeal she supposed.

Minutes later, she was out of sight in the trees. A sigh whistled out as Tevelle relaxed.

_Now, where are those thestrals?_

Raw meat pilfered from the kitchens stained the inside of her robe despite the thick paper wrapping she had tied it up in.  _What I wouldn't give for a simple Ziploc or plastic bag. At least the smell will attract them so I don't have to look as hard._

Leaf litter rustled underfoot and a few twigs snapped somewhere in the underbrush ahead. A hushed silence hung heavily from the branches, and though the forest was teeming with life all around, to the unpracticed eye it would appear deserted. Tevelle let out a low whistle, careful not to pierce through the overlaying quiet as much as she could. There was no need to disturb the peace more than necessary.

_So much for preserving the peace_ , Tevelle thought ruefully as dark gangly form came tumbling through the trees. The young thestral foal had somehow managed to sound like a full herd all by its lonesome. Spindly legs had somehow tangled, sending the eager foal onto its rump in an ungainly heap.

Tevelle let out a laugh and the foal's surprised snort.

"Easy there, I have plenty of meat for everyone." Tevelle smiled as she helped the foal, a colt she could now see, to his hooves. By the time the colt had four hooves square, the rest of the herd had ghosted into the small clearing.

"Here you go, little one. A bit less enthusiasm next time might be better." The colt snapped up the proffered tidbit eagerly, ears perked forward.

A small nose poked Tevelle in the lower back and Tevelle turned to face a small filly she remembered as an exceptionally timid creature last she had seen the herd. "You've grown bolder," she said, giving the thestral some meat.

Tevelle worked her way through the herd, ensuring that each thestral received at least one portion. The two foals had taken to following her, begging for more. Laughing, she complied, but made sure to leave a little extra for the one mare currently in foal.

"That's it! I don't have anymore, silly!" Hands in the air, Tevelle made a show of letting the two foals shove their noses in her coat pockets. "You ate all of it!"

With a final huff of acceptance, they wandered back to their mothers. Tevelle leaned back against a tree, but only waited a moment before one of the younger stallions nudged her shoulder.

"Hey Mirage, how have you been."

The stallion flicked a single ear and bobbed his head once. Tevelle hadn't expected much more than that. Unlike their loudmouth Abraxan cousins, thestrals were quiet creatures, preferring to use equine body language to vocalizations.

"Have you been for a run recently?" Tevelle asked.

Mirage's tail raised and his ears perked forward, all the answer she needed.

"Go over by that stump so I don't have to jump, you're getting tall." After a quick hoof check, Tevelle stepped up onto the stump and slid onto his back just behind where wings met withers.

Mirage stretched his leathery wings once, before folding them over her legs.

"No flying?"

There was a flick of an ear in response and a tightening of his wings to his side.

"Alright, let's put you through your paces. "

Tevelle had been mildly impressed when she had first met the thestral herd and learned that they had been trained not only under harness, but under saddle as well.

They started with an easy walk to warm up. The path Tevelle had been following lead to a clearing up ahead that would make a perfect makeshift riding ring with a brook trickling through on the far end that would be good for jump practice.

Once clear of the underbrush, they broke into an easy trot. "Stop being lazy," Tevelle admonished, "Stretch those legs out more and pick up your feet, you're going to trip."

Mirage shook his mane and lifted his feet exaggeratedly high, stretching them out in front before putting them down again.

"Now you're just showing off."

The stallion tossed his head in silent laughter.

Gradually they worked up through a canter, tracing figure eights through the clearing. Soon enough the rest of the herd had joined them. Most were content to loiter by the edge of the field and watch, but the two foals sprinted into the middle, attempting to keep pace. The colt clumsily attempted a flying lead change, tangling his hooves and nearly landing on his nose before righting himself. The filly whickered gleefully as she gamboled around him with far more grace.

"Maybe we should wait to practice jumping till after those two tire themselves out." Tevelle suggested.

Mirage flicked an ear in agreement.

Tevelle was quite sore by the time they began their cool down, walking in wide easy circles until their breathing was back to normal. Mirage's coat gleamed with sweat and he was no doubt just as tired as she.

"Good workout, but I think we're a bit out of shape."

Mirage jostled her.

"Fine, I'm out of shape."

The stallion gave a satisfied shake of his mane.

Tevelle's joints ached as she slid off his back onto the ground. If she were human she would have had some lovely bruises on her hipbones and upper thighs, but luckily vampires were made of stronger stuff than that. Thestrals were surprisingly comfortable for such bony horses, but they were still bony.

Blinking, Tevelle reached her arms above her head to stretch, catching a glimpse of the sky in doing so.

"It's later than I thought. I should probably get back to the castle. Do you need a rub down, Mirage?"

As she spoke, one of the mares had approached them and begun grooming the stallion's back.

"Never mind then," Tevelle laughed. Mirage gave her a gentle shove with his nose. "Fine fine! I know three's a crowd. I'm going." She quickly said her goodbyes to the herd, but was careful not to wake the foals that had collapsed in an exhausted tangle.

The walk back through the forest was not nearly so quiet as the walk earlier. There was a large incongruous break in the underbrush near the path. Curious what had blundered through and sent the smaller forest creatures into an uproar, Tevelle followed the trail of broken twigs and crushed vegetation. The trail was a winding one, as if the maker was sick or disoriented. Tevelle quickened her pace, now concerned.

A boot print caught her attention in a patch of loose soil.

_So you're human, even more reason for me to find you first before some hapless or not so hapless forest denizen does._

She quickened her pace further, nearly jogging, and her senses on full alert so that she did not miss any trail markers or tracks. In the back of her mind, she plotted her course. The forest edge was near, but not so near that it was no longer dangerous.

A scent caught her nose. She was catching up. The scent was confused though. The odor of unwashed human and sweat mixed with more natural odors of the forest overlay any individual scent she might have been able to pick up. There was the unmistakable tang of sickness to the odor as well. She was close enough to pick up on the heartbeat of her quarry now. Erratic and racing, he or she was alternating between a state of eerie calm and desperate panic.

She was so focused on her target that she nearly missed the presence of two more humans nearby on a direct course to intercept the sick one. She strained her nose, recognizing these two new scents. Harry Potter and Viktor Krum. Idly she wondered what the two Champions were doing taking a leisurely stroll in the forest late at night, but it was a distant concern.

Tevelle slowed. She was nearly within hearing distance now, though still outside human range. Nevertheless, she wanted as little noise as possible so that she would be able to keep track of both groups.

"We're friends, that's it. That Skeeter woman lied." Harry was saying.

"You haff not- " Krum asked awkwardly, and Tevelle suppressed a groan. They were out in the Forbidden Forest after hours talking about a fake love-triangle?

"No."

"Vreally? You haff never-"

"We're just friends." Harry assured him.

Tevelle could nearly hear the gears in Krum's head turning. Suddenly, new words caught her ear.

"Yes, yes, I have looked at the specifications necessary and have sent ahead requests to several Dragon Reserves. The one in Romania seems the most likely to assist as I believe the Coven Head administering the region is an old friend of Dumbledore's." The voice belonged to Mr. Crouch. But the words didn't fit. They sounded as if he were reliving a conversation from nearly a year ago. Tevelle focused on his heartbeat. Calm.

There was a nearly instantaneous change in his demeanor. Heartbeat and nervousness in his scent spiked. "Have to tell... Have to… Must be warned…"

There was another shift, and Crouch was calm again. "No, no. The other letterhead Weatherby, that won't do at all. It is not nearly official enough to send to Headmaster Karkaroff and Madame Maxime."

"Third-task… Dumbledore…"

"Fetch the other quill, quickly now! These letters must be pristine."

As Tevelle edged closer to where the two groups would meet, her mind raced. Crouch was ill, that went without question, and delusional as well, that too was clear. But was he dangerous?

She cursed silently as she reached out with her mind toward the castle. Xeven was out of range. Would it be best to sprint up to the castle now to fetch him? Or would it be safer to keep an eye on Crouch in the event he was dangerous? She couldn't in good conscience leave the two boys to stumble into a potentially dangerous situation unawares if she could help it.

Dithering cost her precious time. Crouch had stopped and in his more passive, but less lucid state, had begun discussing manifests with a tree he addressed as Weatherby.

Harry had noticed Crouch now, drawing his wand uncertainly.

"Vosn't he a judge? Isn't he vith your Ministry?"

Events were moving too quickly. The time had passed that Tevelle could have conveniently stumbled into Harry and Krum before they encountered Crouch. If she revealed her presence now, it would only cast suspicion on her. That would be attention she would not need, and no doubt put her position here at the school into doubt as well.

Harry made his way closer to Crouch cautiously, and Tevelle was silently grateful that Crouch remained in a more passive state. Krum was doing the intelligent thing and keeping his distance.

"… Send another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she's bringing, now Karkaroff's made it a round dozen… do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will…"

The man was deteriorating once again, but Tevelle could do nothing while she remained hidden.

"Dumbledore!" The desperate grasp Crouch made towards Harry startled the boy. Fingers clenched rigidly in Harry's robes. "I've done… stupid… thing. Must tell Dumbledore!" Each word was expelled forcefully but with a breathlessness that showed a tremendous effort to do so.

Harry looked towards a reluctant Krum for help.

All of a sudden a switch was flipped and Crouch was calm once again. Releasing Harry, he turned again to the tree, informing "Weatherby" of an expected visit by his wife and son.

"You stay here with him. I'll get Dumbledore, I know where his office is."

"He's mad!" Krum frowned.  _Very astute Victor_ , Tevelle thought at him, wishing she dared to do more than watch.

"Just stay with him."

Another switch. Crouch was lucid and distressed once again.

"Don't… leave… me! I… escaped… must warn… must tell… see Dumbledore… my fault… Bertha… dead… all my fault… my son… my fault… tell Dumbledore… Harry Potter… the Dark Lord… stronger… Harry Potter…"

Tevelle could wait no longer. Xeven had to be informed. She ran as quickly and as she could without making enough noise to alert anyone to her presence. It was even more important now that none know she was there.

_Dark Lord… stronger…_  The words echoed around her skull, the syllables morphing into a drumbeat in time with her footfalls. An ache began in her chest and worked its way up to her throat.  _Dark Lord_. He could only be referring to Voldemort. The sick feeling in her gut was back.

It became more difficult once inside the castle to run at top speeds. Sounds echoed and Xeven's room was nearly at the opposite side of the castle. Far too much time passed until she reached Xeven's door.

" _Come in_." Xeven ordered nearly the instant she stopped and even before she could raise a fist to knock.

Tevelle barged in, barely noting that Xeven had risen from a chair by the fireside in one fluid motion, a heavy and probably priceless book falling unheeded to the floor. She wasted no time, shoving images of the past few minutes toward his mind. In her haste she failed to order them.

"Calm," Xeven said aloud, "These images are too jumbled to make sense of. Take a moment to organize your thoughts."

Tevelle did so, taking a breath of air that she did not need, all the while feeling as if this was just wasting precious time. She tried again, thinking carefully through the events she wanted him to see.

Xeven was moving before she could blink.

" _What are we going to do?"_ Tevelle asked silently as they ran. She could barely keep up.

" _We will see. Albus may very well beat us there."_

It turned out that Xeven was correct. They did not announce their presence when they arrived, but kept to the shadows, careful to remain hidden from everyone, even Dumbledore.

They watched as Dumbledore revived a stunned Krum before summoning Hagrid.

"Hagrid, I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff, his student has been attacked. When you've done that, kindly alert Professor Moody-"

"No need, Dumbledore, I'm here."

Tevelle stiffened. Why would Moody have known to come? And how could he arrive so quickly from the castle, especially with that wooden leg? She looked at Xeven in confusion. His face, made up of all sharp angles and dark shadows, was expressionless, only the downward turn of the corner of his mouth indicating the rapid speed of his thoughts. Thoughts he did not yet share.

"Damn leg," Moody was complaining, "I would've been here faster, what's happened? Snape said something about Crouch-"

Tevelle frowned. That wasn't right. His timing was impressive, even for an able-bodied person.

"Karkaroff, please, Hagrid!" Dumbledore ordered sharply.

" _What do we do?"_  Tevelle asked once again.

" _We watch and we wait. There is little to do concerning Crouch now, the scents are too muddled and any tracks have been trampled and destroyed. There is no need for the humans to be aware of our involvement, it would only cause complications that are best avoided."_

And so they watched and they waited, neither moving a muscle, even when Karkaroff arrived in a panic and spat at Dumbledore's feet, even when Hagrid grasped Karkaroff by the collar of his robes, lifting the smaller man up in one swift and violent motion.

Harry and Hagrid passed within meters of the two vampires as they made their way up to the castle, and still Xeven and Tevelle remained unnoticed.

Karkaroff hauled himself up to his feet shakily soon after and after gathered his coat about him as if it were his dignity he pulled back together. With a sharp motion, he gestured for Krum to follow and return to the ship.

Soon, Dumbledore was all who remained in the clearing. He surveyed the space with keen eyes that passed unseeing over his observers. There was a rustling in the thicket, and Dumbledore turned expectantly.

"I've looked in the immediate area, and Crouch is nowhere to be found. I will widen my search, but considering the state he was in, I doubt he could have made it far." Moody said gruffly, a piece of tattered parchment in his hand.

Dumbledore's eyes flicked toward the map with recognition, but he did not comment.

Tevelle felt a brief spike of panic. What if the map showed Moody where she and Xeven were? Their cover would be blown and it would not look good in the eyes of the humans if two vampires were skulking around the crime scene.

" _Do not worry. I was not able to alter the map, but the mind of the reader is a simple thing to manipulate."_  Xeven assured her and Tevelle could have sighed with relief.

"It is possible that foul play was involved and Barty Crouch did not leave the area under his own volition." Dumbledore suggested.

"There weren't any overt signs, and I was looking. Still, we can't rule kidnap out."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well. Continue looking as you deem appropriate and inform me of what you find."

"Yes, sir."

Xeven and Tevelle did not move until long after both Moody and Dumbledore left the forest.

" _What do you think this means?_ " Tevelle asked, hesitant to voice her concerns aloud.

" _It is still too early to tell. I was unable to mentally locate Mr. Crouch. He has either fled beyond my reach or is dead."_


	22. A Different Sort of Dance

"What are we waiting for?" Tevelle set down the chess piece with a sharp clack.

Xeven pinned her with a look that implied she was being incredibly dense.

"We are waiting," he explained carefully, "for Albus to request our assistance with whatever is troubling him."

"He knows you aren't stupid though. So he knows you have to be aware of what is happening. Especially, what happened with Crouch last night; Karkaroff hasn't exactly been close-lipped."

"He is not aware, however, precisely how much we know. It is important when dealing with wizards to let them believe themselves to be in control. If I were to broach the subject and offer my assistance, he may become suspicious that I know more than I say and act upon such suspicions." Xeven took a sip from his goblet, allowing the words to sink in. "However, if we wait until he makes the decision to politely inform his allies of events that he has handled but may concern us later on…" He trailed off, inviting Tevelle to complete his reasoning.

"Then," she hazarded, working out the details as she spoke, "he will assume that what he chooses to share is the extent of our knowledge on something we  _shouldn't_  know the details of already." At the elder vampire's approving nod, she continued. "You are still in control of the situation, but because he  _thinks_  he has control, he will not fight you for it."

"Very good," Xeven said and the warmth Tevelle felt at his praise was dimmed only by his capture of one of her knights. The chessboard on the table between them was looking rather sparse of pieces that belonged to her.

"I thought you were friends, though." Tevelle asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence. "Friends don't tend to be so manipulative of the other."

Xeven seemed to consider his words carefully for a moment. "That is true, but our case is a unique one. As the headmaster of a school and a wizard of some note, Albus must be cognizant of how his actions may be interpreted and affect others. He is also aware that, as a Coven Head and the vampire ambassador to the Ministry of Magic, I must always put the needs of my people first, even if that means politics come before friendship."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Tevelle took a sip from her own goblet of blood to gather her thoughts.

"Even if I could compartmentalize like that, I don't think I'd have the patience."

Xeven favored her with a small wry half-smile. "And that my dear," he said, his words laced with amusement, "is why you will never go into politics."

Tevelle snorted. "And so we wait," She eventually said, once her laughter was under control.

A thoughtful nod in agreement, "And so we wait."

Waiting, as it turned out, only lasted until the following Monday. Tevelle had nearly finished her lunch when Xeven contacted her mentally across the dining hall.

_"The Headmaster would like to meet with me after our meal for a private discussion in his office pertaining to a matter he deems important."_  It was quite obvious from his mental tone that this was the opportunity they had been waiting for.  _"I would like you to be in attendance at this meeting, though that would mean you will have to forgo your evening classes. It is a necessary sacrifice. Meet me outside the doors shortly."_

_"Of course,"_  Tevelle thought back to him, knowing she would be overheard. Dumbledore could write her a note for missing Defense Against the Dark Arts. Unfortunately, Moody would be both the most understanding, but also the nosiest of professors as to the reason for her absence.

Ten minutes later, Tevelle considered the idea that a note might be a little too much to hope for. Blue eyes peered at her from behind wire-rimmed spectacles, and the glint in them was decidedly disapproving. Xeven motioned for Tevelle to take a seat in one of the armchairs in front of Dumbledore's desk and hold her ground. Xeven followed his own advice, taking a seat in the other armchair before the headmaster could invite him too. The subtle play of power was not lost on the wizard.

"Xeven, my friend. I am not certain a student should be privy to this meeting. Not only is this information sensitive, but Miss Nightshade is expected in a class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, if I am not mistaken."

Tevelle could feel her muscles' involuntary reaction to the tension in the air, but she controlled herself and remained rooted to the cushion.

Xeven's voice was smooth as ice. "A student at your school she may be, but my apprentice first and foremost. It is not your decision to make."

"Very well," Dumbledore conceded, though the tone made it clear he felt he did so against his better judgment.

The headmaster took a moment to collect his thoughts before launching straight into the matter at hand. There were no pleasantries, no polite offerings of lemon drops or tea. The delicate dance of words had begun.

"I believe you have been made aware of the disturbance on the grounds several nights ago."

"Igor Karkaroff has not been silent on the matter, as I am sure you are aware." Xeven responded, not lying, not exactly. He spun his words expertly, allowing Dumbledore to fill in the blanks and reach his own conclusions. But he did not lie.

Dumbledore nodded, as though that was the expected answer. "Bartemious Crouch was discovered on the grounds by two of the students. By all reports he was not entirely lucid and alternated between hallucinating events months past and desperately trying to send a message to me." He paused for a response, and when none was forthcoming, he continued his tale. "One student ran to fetch me. By the time we arrived back on the scene, Crouch had stunned the second student and disappeared into the forest. Sweeps of the area by both Professor Moody and myself came up empty. Crouch seems to have vanished."

Xeven nodded once, encouraging Dumbledore to continue. The room was silent as the wizard chose his next words.

"This is not the first of such disappearances, disappearances that I believe to be linked. Bertha Jorkins, Mr. Crouch, and a muggle man by the name of Frank Bryce, these all have one shared factor, a tie back to Lord Voldemort. Bertha Jorkins vanished where Voldemort was last thought to be located. Frank Bryce lived in the village where Voldemort's father grew up. Both locations are associated in some significant way to Voldemort."

"The forest of these grounds do not follow the pattern," Xeven pointed out carefully.

Dumbledore grimaced. Xeven had managed to steer the conversation in a direction that would require the headmaster to reveal more than he preferred.

"The warning Crouch was so fixated on giving me, he mentioned Voldemort and an approaching danger that was very closely associated."

A tense silence descended. Tevelle fought the urge to fidget or speak up and break the tension herself. As soon as Voldemort had been mentioned, an odd feeling had started creeping up her spine. It made her restless.

"I thank you for thinking to inform me of this matter. I feel, however, that only time will tell if the situation merits the severity you have accredited to it." Xeven offered nothing in that statement, putting the pressure once again squarely on Dumbledore's shoulders.

_All Dumbledore has at this point is conjecture and he knows it. Xeven just made it abundantly clear that he knows this as well,_ Tevelle thought with grim satisfaction.

There was a slight crackle of power surrounding the wizard as he realized he had been backed neatly into a corner. If he wanted anything from Xeven he would have to tip his hand and  _ask_ for it.

"My request is this," Dumbledore stated stiffly, "that should my suspicions prove correct you ally with the side that opposes the destruction Voldemort would bring." That Dumbledore meant  _his_  side was quite clear.

Xeven considered for a moment, then answered gravely. "Unfortunately, I can not guarantee such an action." He held up a hand to forestall any protest. "It is vampire policy to remain neutral with regards to wizarding politics so as to prevent a repeat of past tragedies. I must retain this non-interference with  _all_  wizarding policies, not only the ones that agree with my personal opinions. To do otherwise would break the careful balance between my kind and wizard kind and risk another Purge. Unless a faction were to declare war specifically on vampire kind and it is necessary to defend our own, I and my people cannot cast aside our neutrality."

For a second it looked as if Dumbledore might argue, but that soon passed and he settled for a resigned expression.

"However," Xeven continued after a moment. "Even though we cannot act against the Death Eater movement should your suspicions prove true, my apprentice has a very personal grudge against Voldemort _himself_.

"It is within Vampire Law that a vampire, as well as his or her mentor if he or she is still a fledgling, is permitted to exact vengeance on an  _individual_ who has inflicted grievous personal harm of a physical, mental, or emotional nature. This extends to humans as well as other sentient creatures both magical and mundane.

"As a result, Tevelle is within her rights to seek vengeance from Voldemort, formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle, with my assistance."

The silent message was simple.  _It would be prudent to maintain communications as our paths and goals may still converge._

With nothing more to say, the two vampires rose together and took their leave, allowing Dumbledore the privacy of his thoughts. The wizard had a great deal to think about after all.


	23. Tipping Point

 

_"HARRY POTTER"  
"DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS"_

Just from the title, Tevelle could tell the journalist had outdone herself with the level of nonsense she had managed to get printed. She continued to read, her amusement growing as she read.

 

_The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School._

Well, it was a bit late to pull him out of the tournament, magical binding contract and all that. What would 'casting doubts' accomplish?

 

_Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.  
It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potters brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion._

Tevelle fought back a laugh. Confusion? If that curse had addled or damaged his brain, confusion would be the least of his worries.

 

_"He might even be pretending," said one specialist. "This could be a plea for attention."_   
_The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public._   
_"Potter can speak Parseltongue," reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. "There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power."_   
_Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue "as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evildoers." Similarly, "anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence."_

Her amusement died. Some werewolves and giants were more respectable than some wizards she could name. For the hundredth time, Tevelle wondered what the reactions would be amongst the student body should her vampirism become known. She was also quite sure that a few snakes would be greatly offended with being associated with evil due to something they had absolutely no control over.

 

_Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening._

Once again, Tevelle wondered if Skeeter was aware that even if her accusations had any foundation, it was quite too late to decide if Harry should be allowed to compete. Why did everyone wait until the day of the third and final task to voice his or her concerns?

Tevelle shook her head in dismay. Even when she was one of them, she never understood humans. And that reminded her, " _Xeven, am I spotting like the second task?"_

It took a moment for Xeven to respond. " _Not officially. Several of the professors will be patrolling the borders of the maze. Your assistance should not be necessary, but remain alert regardless."_

_"Alright."_

" _Also, good luck on your exam later today."_

_"Thanks."_ Tevelle responded with false enthusiasm. She had almost forgotten about her exam in only fifteen minutes. Movement to her left caught her eye and Tevelle grimaced.

Malfoy and his followers had decided exhibiting the maturity of five year olds was a good tactic in psychological warfare against the Gryffindors and were making quite the spectacle waggling their tongues and making faces.

"Do you honestly think that you're accomplishing anything but making a fool of yourself, Malfoy?" Tevelle told them, exasperated. "Or did you assume that acting like a child would distract the other houses from their exams and make your grades seem better by comparison?" She stood up, abruptly, and gathered her books.

"Oh, and by the way," She turned back to them as she left. "Snakes don't  _wag_  their tongues. At the very least be accurate if you're going to be doing an interpretive dance representing our house mascot."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see several Slytherins regarding her with stunned expressions. Malfoy in particular looked shocked. Tevelle allowed herself a small, satisfied smirk. Now if only she were as confident about her impending exam as she was about biology.

_Well that wasn't as bad as it could have been,_  she told herself as she walked to lunch.  _And there are two more gingers seated at Gryffindor than usual… oh!_

"Bill! Mol-Mrs. Weasley!" She called out, hoping her slip would go unnoticed.

"Tevelle! Charlie forgot to tell us you were finishing up your schooling at Hogwarts." Bill was standing now and Tevelle gave him a quick hug in greeting. She carefully ignored the glares this action received from the Slytherin table and curiously enough Fleur Delacour.

"Well you would have known if you had stopped by the Reserve on your way to Egypt this summer. I know Gringotts has you on a tight schedule, but you could have made time to visit Charlie at the very least."

"I'll make sure to stop by the next time I'm abroad. "

"You do that."

"How are you doing?" Molly enveloped her in a hug as well, much to the continuing surprise of the surrounding Gryffindors.

"Alright. Exams have been going well, but I'm glad they're almost over."

"Better than Ron, here I hope," Bill teased.

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Tevelle continued, "I am going to go sit down before my seat is taken. It's nice to see you two again. Good luck in the task later, Harry." With that she gave a cheerful wave, most likely confusing a great many other students, and walked over to the Slytherin table.

When she sat down, the chill in the air was palpable, though no one went to far as to actually shift away from her.

"I wasn't aware you associate with  _their_  kind." Malfoy, who was seated across the table from her, sneered.

"That's funny. I was not aware you aren't a wizard." Tevelle was careful to keep her face impassive as she regarded him over the rim of her goblet. "What other  _kind_  were you referring to? Human? Please don't tell me you're actually a plant."

Crabbe let out a rather loud guffaw at that, but managed to silence himself rather abruptly after receiving a withering glare from Malfoy.

Malfoy gaped, eyes blazing, but seemed unable to utter a comeback. Shrugging, Tevelle hastily gulped down her blood, snatched a roll, and made her escape. She was done with her exams for the day, but there was quite a bit of studying to do for her exams Friday.

"Good luck tonight," She called to a surlier than usual Krum as she passed him in the entrance hall. He favored her with a half-hearted wave.

The library was more crowded than expected, so Tevelle took her books out to the courtyard. As the light dimmed the time for the evening feast rolled around, she was feeling adept at potions, though not as skilled at herbology as she would have liked.

Feast turned out to be an apt description. Tevelle wondered if there was anyone who had been able to keep eating after the third or fourth course. Still, soon enough, Dumbledore rose from his seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."

At his words, an expectant hush settled and the four champions stood and as a group exited through the great double doors. It definitely was less than the specified five minutes when others in the hall rose to follow.

" _Remember, keep alert."_ Xeven told her silently as they walked down to the Quidditch pitch together. Tevelle nodded made sure to pick a seat near the edges of the stand in the event she needed to slip away unseen.

Once the stands were bristling with spectators, Bagman's voice amplified by magic rang out across the assemblage. "Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!

"Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School.

"In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!

"And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Each announcement was met with thunderous applause, at times loud enough to disturb the more flighty residents of the Forbidden forest.

"So...on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" continued Bagman. "Three - two - one -" With that he let out a short blast on his whistle. Tevelle fought the urge to cover her ears at the shrill sound.

Another shrill whistle and it was Krum's turn.

The third and final whistle and Fleur entered the maze.

From that point on it was a waiting game. The hedges were too tall and too narrow for anyone except maybe those in the highest parts of the stands to see. Tevelle, near the bottom corner, decided that it probably was not even worth trying to  _see_ what was occurring.

Instead, she unraveled her vampiric senses. Four familiar pranic signatures stood out easily to her mind's eye. There were Harry and Cedric, the furthest into the maze. Krum and Fleur were oddly close together.

There was something strange with Krum's heartbeat as well. His prana fluttered rapidly near his heart, but further out it was calm and oddly controlled. He seemed to be terrified, but moved at a steady, almost sedate pace.

Fleur's heart rate spiked suddenly, accompanied by a scream. Something was wrong. There were no red sparks.

Krum was moving away from Fleur now, his pranic signature still exhibiting the same strange pattern.

" _Something is strange with Krum."_ Tevelle sent her thoughts toward Xeven.

" _There is nothing we can do at the moment. Keep watching."_  He instructed.

Nearly twenty more minutes passed. The yell had been faint, and were it not for her sensitive hearing, Tevelle would not have heard it at all. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?" It was Cedric. Both he and Krum were near each other, both equally terrified. Then Cedric was screaming, much as Fleur had done. Oddly enough, Krum seemed far more frightened than Cedric. It happened quickly. Harry must have broken through the hedge. Moments later, Krum was unconscious and red sparks were lighting the sky.

" _One problem solved. Something still seems off though."_  Tevelle told Xeven. Though he did not answer with words, he made it clear he agreed.

She had almost let down her guard when, forty minutes since entering the maze, both Cedric and Harry disappeared.

" _Xeven!"_  Tevelle called in alarm. A portkey definitely was not a part of the Task. She was careful not to appear panicked. The humans were still unaware that anything untoward had happened.

" _I know. Follow and observe. The thestrals will be able to follow where the portkey went. It would be noticed if I were to leave._ Do not be seen."

" _Don't worry, I'll be careful."_

With that, she dropped as casually as possible over the side railing of the stands. Once suitably in the shadows, she sprinted to the forest, stretching out her awareness as far as it would go.

_Damn it,_  she cursed silently. It was just her luck that the thestral herd would be on the  _opposite_  end of Centaur territory. Briefly she contemplated running straight through.  _No, I have no idea how serious the situation is. It isn't worth risking war._

So she ran, skirting the edges of Centuar territory and dodging the warning arrows sent her way. When she was within hearing range she whistled and sent out a keening call to get the herd's attention. She only realized afterward how lucky she had been that her headlong rush had not sent the entire herd fleeing in a panic. No doubt they thought some monster was chasing her.

"Mirage!" She called to the stallion. He and a few others had stayed behind to defend the herd's retreat. When she neared and slowed to a stop, he pricked his ears. The rest of the herd filtered back, having not gone far, as soon as they realized she was not running from something but to them.

"I need you to take me to where that portkey," she scrambled for less specific words the horse would understand, "that flash of power, went. It's an emergency. I need to find where Harry and Cedric went. I know you thestrals are fantastic and finding people and places."

The stallion caught on quickly, kneeling down on his forelegs to make it easier for her to mount. "Thank you. I just need you to take me there as fast as you can."

Mirage bobbed his head, spread his wings, and leaped into the air.

"I hope I didn't waste too much time," Tevelle said, but the cold night air swept away her words. They were flying fast, far faster than what seemed natural. She just hoped it would be fast enough. Her gut kept twisting. Something very bad was happening.

A painful length of time later and Mirage was slowing; the number of wing beats lessening until they were just gliding in a wide circle. Down below Tevelle's eyes could pick out the gray headstones of a graveyard. That was not what caught her eye the most. On one of the few clear patches of ground was a large glowing net-like dome. Dark-robed figures prowled the edges.

"Take us down over where we won't be seen." The thestral complied, landing in the grass with a silence that an owl would envy.

"You should probably leave," Tevelle whispered, "This might get dangerous."

Mirage shook his mane, pinning his ears back.

"Fine, but stay back where it's safer. I'll go see what's going on."

Tevelle crept closer to the dome. The scent of blood was thick on the air and between the angry shouts of the dark-robed figures, snatches of phoenix song reached her ears. And suddenly it was dark, the odd luminous spell broken.

"Stun him!" A voice screamed.

_No, it can't be._  The voice was eerily familiar. The squirming in her gut was choking her.  _No no no!_

There was more shouting. Spells were fired haphazardly. Someone was running.

"Impedimenta!" That was Harry. Where was Cedric?

"Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!" There was that voice again. Tevelle suddenly couldn't think, she couldn't move.  _He's dead!_

"Accio!" Tevelle was not quite sure how it happened, but Harry was gone. Perhaps he had summoned the still active portkey.

Voldemort screamed with rage.

"Crucio." Now it was some poor death eater screaming due to Voldemort's anger.

"All of you leave me!" Voldemort ordered several torturous moments later, the worst of his rage past.

When Tevelle finally broke free of her stupor, the graveyard was deserted save for the man that alternated between haunting her nightmares and dreams and herself.

Shakily, Tevelle stood, and fought to remain still. She had not realized how near Voldemort had been. He sat now, not quite slumped, on a headstone less than a hundred yards away. At her movement, he looked up.

"I said leave!" He lifted his wand, but did not cast.

Tevelle was speaking before having been aware she had words to say. Xeven had said not to be seen, but she could not seem to help herself.

"Why, Tom?"

The last time Voldemort had waged war on the wizarding world, Xeven had been very careful to keep her away from anything even remotely related to it. It was too raw he had told her; she was still not in enough control to handle it. Now, decades later, she wondered if it might still be too recent of a wound for her to confront.

Voldemort let his wand drop, red eyes widening with shock.

"Tevelle." He hissed. It was not a question.

"Why?"

"Why? Why did I kill you?" Something minute shifted in his expression, but Tevelle was still too much in a state of shock to notice. "Because I loved you."

_That_  broke through the shock. Anger surged forth. "Love? Because you loved me? What kind of a reason to stab someone in the gut is that?"

Why was she arguing with him? Why hadn't he attacked her? Why hadn't she attacked him? None of this made sense, but Tevelle's emotions twisted and writhed, tangling up any thoughts of the strangeness of the situation.

"It was necessary."

" _Necessary?_  Necessary for  _what_ , Tom? This stupid immortality spell? Oh, yeah, our good friend Albus told me about  _that_  theory of his." The words were flowing faster than she could control. "And how is that immortality working out for you? Well something must have worked, if you're here now. But what's the point if you loose everything you care about, everything you  _are?_  "

Red eyes narrowed, and slit nostrils flared.

"You don't seem surprised to see me."

"It was no secret that you had turned and you did not change your name." His voice was calm now, infuriatingly steady.

"You know what? I don't even care any more!" Tevelle shrieked. Then a thought occurred and she forced her voice to relax. Tom still had not moved from where he sat. Tevelle shut her eyes. "I'm a fool for doing this, but for some reason that makes absolutely no sense, I still love you. I'll give you a choice. You can choose between me and this insane quest for power that you'll never find."

She opened her eyes to meet a familiar brown, not red, pair.

_No! This is too easy._  A small part of her mind screamed at her. But her voice had other ideas. "Me? Really?"

Had she breath, she would have no doubt been hyperventilating.

The niggling sense of doubt chewed at the back of her mind. This  _was_  too easy. This didn't make sense. Tom never gave up that easily. Her stomach did a strange back flip. But it was  _Tom_. The silvery dragon pendant burned against her skin. She wanted so desperately for this to be true. There was Tom sitting there.  _Tom_ with his mop of dark hair, equally dark eyes, and that half-smirk she knew so well, sat there patiently. Oh, how she wanted this to be true,  _needed_  it to be true.

Before she was conscious of moving, she was up against him, arms flung around his neck, kissing him deeply and recklessly. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes, trailing wetly down her cheek adding the taste of salt to their kiss. A strong hand cradled her head and neck.

It was instinctive for her to reach out mentally. Probing thoughts encountered a mind twisted and torn, roiling with hate and malice. Relief turned to disgust, the fluttering hope in her gut turning cold and solid. The hand on the back of her head tightened, controlling now, greedy.

With an angry squeal, Tevelle reared back, slapping him as harshly as her vampiric muscles would allow. The red hand print stood out starkly against Voldemort's white face. Her nails had left a thin trail of blood along his cheekbone. For once the coppery scent that reached her nose was not at all palatable. She staggered back and away, fighting the urge to vomit.

"Power it is then." Tevelle growled, suddenly feeling cold. Fumbling, she tore at the silvery chain around her neck. The clasp broke and the chain came free in her hand. "It's ironic, really." She found herself laughing, nearly hysterical, "For all intents and purposes  _I_  am the one with the immortality you crave, something that you'll _never_  share with me." She fought for control. "You made a mistake when you killed me."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, but he still did not speak. Nor did he stand. He did not need to.

"I'm stronger than you now." Another mad little laugh escaped her, "And I don't love you anymore." One final fit of anger and she hurled the silvery necklace, the symbol of what they once shared, at his feet.

Then she fled, as fast as her feet could carry her.

Mirage found her huddled under a tree nearly a mile away.

He nudged her with his nose, and when she was nearly unresponsive, he lay down beside her.

"You're right, we should get home. Xeven needs to know what happened." Her voice was quiet, but surprisingly serene. By all rights she should have been screaming. Instead she only felt numb.

The flight back to Hogwarts passed in a blur.

Xeven was waiting at the edge of the forest for her. Whatever calm had possessed Tevelle up until then snapped and she ran tears streaming down her face, into Xeven's waiting arms.

"I hate him, I hate him so much! I can't believe I used to trust that monster. I feel so stupid. I hate him. Why am I such an idiot? I should have known better…" The litany trailed off as feeling overwhelmed words.

She shoved images of the last hour at his mind haphazardly, not caring if they were out of order. Xeven should be able to make some sense of them.

Sobs choked her, throat closing up spasmodically around the chaotic emotions that forced their way up into her mouth. "It hurts," she wanted to whimper, but not even that small sound escaped. She felt dazed, torn, sick, and numb all at once.

She wanted to rage and rail. She wanted to break something so that it was as shattered as she felt.

She wanted to hold Tom in her arms as they once did, content with nothing more than the nearness of each other.

She wanted to tear Voldemort's pulsating heart from his chest.

She wanted to curl away in a hidden corner for the next thousand years.

Her inner beast raged with her. Vampires were loyal creatures, and for that trust to be betrayed or to be forced to abandon such loyalty…

And suddenly she couldn't breathe, her anchor to her thin veneer of humanity broken. The inner beast, the base blood lust of the vampire, broke free and she thrashed within Xeven's unyielding arms. The paralysis that had frozen her lungs spread to her limbs. Immobile now, panic set in, stealing away any last traces of rationality.

When she was aware of herself again, she and Xeven were still huddled in the dirt at the edge of the forest, just barely past the boundary of the school grounds. Xeven held her protectively, nearly cradled in his lap. The fabric of his shirt was wet with her tears and clung annoyingly to her cheek. Exhaustion pulled at her; it was too much effort to remedy the problem.

Wordlessly, Xeven expressed his affection and support. The feather light touch on her mind soothed the inner beast until it only grumbled for blood. Tevelle felt hollow, too weary and windswept for anything else.

"Sleep," Xeven told her. "You are safe now."


	24. Epilogue: Subtleties

The Dark Mark  _burned_  as he walked to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds and outside of the anti-Apparition wards that shielded the school. It was a pain that Snape had not felt in years, a pain that he had hoped to never feel again.

_Destination. Determination. Deliberation._ It had been decades since he had needed to think about the 'Three D's", as his Appariton instructer had called them, on anything higher than a subconscious level, but working through the basics helped him find the odd calm necessary for the task ahead. Just before the spell took hold, he felt his usual stoic and unfeeling mask settle into the lines of his face.

The worst and most ingenious part of the Dark Mark's magic was that the destination Snape envisioned could be anywhere and it would make no difference. When the Mark burned as it did now, the magic in it would pull its host to meet its caster the moment he or she Apparated. Until the magic was deactivated by the Dark Lord's presence, he  _could not_  use Apparition to escape. For most Death Eaters it was quite convenient. It meant they had no need to know where their Dark Lord was, but they could be by his side in a heartbeat. For Snape, it was a hinderance and a detail to remember should this twisted game he played go sour.

When the world righted itself, he found himself standing at the edges of a graveyard. Broken headstones littered the ground. Patches of grass were torn up or burnt. Ih the center of cleared space sat a sizeable cauldron, large enough for a grown man to curl inside. As he walked near, he sniffed the air. He had always possessed an excellent sense of smell, a trait quite beneficial for a Potions Master. It took a moment for his mind to filter through the various scents to identify the ingredients and the combined scent that would be the potion itself.

_Ah, so he used that._  It was an old magic, more ritual than spell, the base of which was one of the few potions that required a copious amount of unicorn blood.

He filed that thought behind one of the innermost shields in his mind, absentmindedly taking the opportunity to check that all of his usual occlumency shields were in place.

As a precaution he added an extra layer to his outermost shield and the one beneath it. The Dark Lord was not going to be pleased when he saw Snape and it would be best that the true reasons of his delay were not revealed.

He walked further, and was slightly surprised by the sight that greeted him. The Dark Lord was seated on a headstone near the edge of the graveyard. His posture was bent, almost contemplative and there was a distinctly distracted air to his movements. A glint of silver flashed in the Dark Lord's hands and caught Snape's eye. Had the Dark Lord gotten a new wand? No, it wasn't a wand, he could see it more clearly now. It was a silvery chain, a delicate thickness, like that of a necklace. The slightly larger flattened shape of silver near one end further supported the necklace theory. Snape was curious, but kept his face impassive, he had been doing this too long to be undone by something as simple as curiosity.

It was time he announced himself. "My lord?"

Red eyes darted up to meet his. Snape held the gaze, his shields holding. With respect he did not feel, Snape bowed low from the waist, breaking eyecontact before it became a contest of wills.

Voldemort hissed, shoving the silvery chain roughly into a pocket of his robes. To a less trained eye, the action would have appeared careless as if the matter was of no import. But, Snape had been playing this game for a long time, and he knew better than to judge things based on appearances. It was what did  _not_  happen that frequently revealed far more than what did.

Voldemort had not tossed the item away or discarded it in another manner. He had kept it, stowing it in one of the deeper pockets of his robes so that it would not be lost or damaged. He also had not continued to handle it. Whatever it was, it was or symbolized something the Dark Lord coveted and did not wish to be shared.

All of this was fully considered and filed away behind layers of mental shielding before Shape had fully straightened from his bow.

"Severus," The Dark Lord's voice was dangerously smooth, "Would you care to explain your tardiness?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this installment is complete, but the story has only just begun. A sequel is on the way.


End file.
